A Night To Remember
by Muse2488
Summary: Mikey finally gets to go topside to a party in Central Park. His brothers decide to accompany him and they actually have a pretty good time. Will the good times last or will the night take an unexpected turn? Rated for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This has been in my head almost all month, so I've finally decided to write it. Please let me know what you think! Leave me some reviews because I'm addicted to them. And you should all feed my addiction. =]]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the turtles. I want to, really I do! But for some reason the owners don't wanna share. *Grumbles***

Chapter 1: Brothers and Zombies and Ninjas Oh My!

"Pleeeeeeaaaaasssseeee?!"

"I said no."

"But it's a totally lame reason to say no!"

"Lame reason or not the answer is still no."

"Pleeeeeeaaaaasssseeee?!"

"I've told you already, it's too dangerous."

"I'm more dangerous than anything out there!"

"Mikey, let me say it in Spanish for you; no."

"Por favor!"

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "Nice try, but no."

Mike narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders. Time for the big guns, no more Mr. Nice Turtle.

Leo's eyes grew wide. "Oh Mikey no, not the eyes."

Mikey turned on the puppy dog eyes and Leo's already weak resolve started to fade even more. Of course Mikey, the youngest of the group, would be blessed with the baby blue eyes. And of course he knew how to use them to his advantage. And of course Leo was never able to tell him no when he turned on the puppy dog eyes. Mikey knew this of course, which is why he always used it against his eldest brother. Raphael could ignore it easily; he never bent to Mikey's will whenever he pulled out 'the eyes.' Donatello had a harder time ignoring them; he would eventually break depending on the situation. Leo though? Leo cracked every time.

"Mike…"

Eyes.

"Mike, c'mon."

Eyes.

"Michelangelo!"

Eyes.

Leo sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "Fine! Fine! You can go!"

Mikey jumped about twenty feet in the air, first pumping. "YES!"

"There are rules." Leo added.

Mike's enthusiasm diminished slightly. "There are always rules."

Leo gave him a stern look before continuing. "You're to say dressed up the whole time, understood?"

"Dude, c'mon like I would ever risk exposure."

"You're to be back at the lair by midnight."

"Midnight?! But-"

Leo put his hand up, silencing Mike. "Midnight. Don't even think about accepting an invitation somewhere else. You're to stay at the park the whole time."

"Yes _mom_."

"And someone has to go with you."

"What?! That's so unfair!" Mike complained.

"Don't care. You're definitely not going alone."

"Leo, I'm 17 alright? Not exactly a baby anymore. I can take care of myself."

Leonardo shook his head. "It's not a matter of being a baby Mikey. The Foot have been more active recently and so have the Purple Dragons. I'm not risking anything."

Mikey rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, whatever. So…you wanna come with me?"

Leo barked a laugh. "Yeah right. I'm letting you go, my job is done."

Mike narrowed his eyes. "I could've asked Master Splinter."

Leo raised a brow. "And what do you think he would've said?"

Mike sighed. "To ask you…"

Leo grinned and slapped the back of Mike's shell. "Maybe Donnie will go with you."

"Go with you where?" Donatello asked as he appeared in the living room.

"To the All Night Zombie Prom at Central Park!" Mikey said enthusiastically.

"Oh no, there is no way I'm going." Don said with a shake of his head.

"Awe, c'mon bro! It'll be great! We get to dress like zombies and dance and have fun! Plus I hear Deadmau5 is gonna be there!" Mike said jumping up and down around his brother.

"Who?" Don asked.

Mike stopped bouncing. "I swear none of you know anything about good music."

"Ya wouldn't know good music if it slapped ya in the face Mikey." A heavy Brooklyn accent was heard from above. The brothers looked up to see their red banded brother jump from the railing and join them in the living room.

Mike huffed. "I do too know good music. The crap you listen to Raph, sucks."

"Hey, don't knock the classics." Raph said.

Mike snorted. "Classics? Dude, you listen to mullet rock."

Don snickered. "He's got a point Raph."

Raphael scowled at Donatello. "Like you've got room to talk Donnie. Whadda ya like to listen to? Beethoven?"

Don's cheeks reddened a bit. "Maybe…"

Mike and Raph laughed.

"Better than what Leo listens to." Don replied.

"Hey, leave my music taste out of this." Leonardo said.

"Can you even call it music taste?" Michelangelo asked.

Raph scoffed. "Ya don't see 'Greatest Hits of the Monks' bein' sold on T.V. do ya?"

The three brothers laughed while Leo looked a bit miffed.

"Donnie please go with me!" Mike begged.

"Mikey I really don't want to…" Don whined.

"Zombie prom?" Raph asked Leo.

"Zombie prom." Leo nodded.

"I'll go with ya." Raph said.

All eyes turned to Raphael.

"What?" Mike asked.

Raph rolled his eyes. "I said I'd go with ya."

Mike looked dubiously at Raph before poking him in the side. Raph squawked and jumped back a bit. "Who are you and what've you done to my brother Raphael?"

"Do ya wanna go or not?" Raph demanded.

"Yes!" Mike answered.

"Then ya better get ready or I'll leave yer ass here." Raph grunted.

Mike grinned and dashed off to prepare himself for what was bound to be the greatest night of his life!

OoOoOoO

"This is gonna be GREAT!" Mike shouted, doing flip after flip on the rooftops. Raphael could barely contain the smile creeping on his lips. He hadn't seen Mikey this excited in months. Raphael had told Mikey he wasn't going to be dressing up nearly as much as Mikey was; they were supposed to be ninja zombies. One good thing that worked in their favor was their already green skin. Mike of course had gone all out; black ninja costume complete with fake blood and scars running along the few parts of exposed skin. Raphael had a trench coat and hat on, but of course Mikey couldn't just leave him alone and had poured fake blood all over the coat and hat. They were almost there when they heard footsteps behind them. Raph wasted no time in whipping out his Sai's.

"It's just us." Donatello said with his hands up in mock surrender.

Raph sighed and put his Sai's back. "Whadda tryin' to do Donnie, gimme a heart attack?"

"Just thought we'd come along." Leonardo said as he emerged from the shadows.

"Dudes! You're all coming?" Mikey asked enthusiastically.

"Can't always let you have all the fun." Leo replied with a small smile.

"This is gonna be epic! The four amigo's busting out the moves!" Mikey said while doing a little dance.

The three older turtles couldn't help but smile.

"Whatever goofball, let's just go." Raph said, pulling Mike into a loose headlock and giving him a noogie.

Leo and Don weren't dressed up but their plan was to stay in the shadows.

"Worried?" Raph asked Leo, letting Donnie and Mikey go ahead of them.

"A bit." Leo answered.

"Ya don't trust me to look out fer him?" Raph asked, his temper rising slightly at the implication.

Leo shook his head. "Not at all. I know you can take care of him, but then who'd take care of you?"

Raphael scoffed. "I don't need help, trust me."

"I do. It's other people I don't trust. And Halloween is the perfect time to blend in, we won't be able to tell who may be a Foot ninja or not if they dress up too."

Raph's temper cooled at hearing that. It was true. Halloween was when the freaks came out. No pun intended to him and his mutant brothers.

"Yer right. We need to be extra careful tonight." Raph replied.

Leo smirked slightly. "I'm sorry, what was that? I'm right? Is that what I heard?"

"Don't push is Leo." Raph growled, hiding a smile.

They finally made it to the park and Don and Leo completely disappeared into the shadows.

"Keep an eye on him." Raph told Leo.

"You too." Leo said.

Mikey immediately went into the middle of the park, as close to the stage where there was this huge mouse looking thing fiddling around with a turn table and laptop. Raph knew that was the DJ Mike had been so excited about. Raph smiled to himself and shook his head. Raph knew coming out here was dangerous as hell and he couldn't believe that Mikey had actually convinced Leo to allow him to go. Raph knew Mikey's puppy dog eyes never failed to break his older brother though. Raphael liked to tell himself that he was able to resist those eyes, but despite his bad ass 'I don't care' exterior, he could easily cave to Mikey's puppy dog eyes. Raphael decided to get a bit closer so he could keep an eye out for his little brother. Mikey was swaying back and forth to the music, adding in a bit of martial arts flair to it making it look more like break dancing. Raph had to admit, his little brother was pretty good. A small crowd circled him, cheering him on. Raph smirked and shook his head before finding a new position. He didn't like staying still, he needed to move every few minutes or so. He had to admit, the DJ wasn't that bad. He kept the beat fresh, never playing the same song twice. Mikey checked in with him every once in a while, begging him to join but Raph declined every time. Finally, Leo whistled and Raph knew it was time to go. He made his way through the crowed and finally found Mikey.

"C'mon Mikey, time ta go."

Mike spun around. "Now?" He whined.

"Yeah, now. S'go."

Mike waved to the group of people he had been hanging out with and followed his older brother. Once outside of the park and back into the shadows of buildings Leo and Don reappeared.

"Did you have a good time?" Leo asked Mike.

"Dude. It. Was. Awesome." Mike said.

Leo smiled. "Good."

"I gotta admit that mouse DJ had some decent beats."

"I _told_ you! Deadmua5 is awesome!"

"It wasn't too bad." Don commented.

"It was epic." Mikey stated, tearing off the ninja costume he was wearing. Raph took off the hat and trench coat, trashing it because there was no way he would get the stains outta it.

They laughed at the party stories Mikey told. Ooo'd and Ah'd at the explanations of the people he had met. It was good for them to get out like this every once in a while. Good, but dangerous. Leonardo was on high alert. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. And as if on cue, he heard something shift in the shadows. Every muscle in his body tensed.

"Guys, be alert." Leo whispered so softly, Raphael could barely hear him. Donnie and Mikey were still talking animatedly and seemingly didn't hear Leonardo.

"You see something Leo?" Raph asked just as softly.

"We're being followed."

Raph tensed and then all hell broke loose.

Tons of Foot ninja were falling from rooftops, pouring in from the shadows. Leo and Raph immediately got their weapons out, Donnie and Mikey not much further behind.

"Alright, nothing like a little midnight snack after a wicked awesome party!" Mikey said enthusiastically.

"Focus Mikey." Leo said.

Mikey grinned. "Dude, I'm totally focused! Focused on kickin' the snot outta some Foots!"

"We're outnumbered by _a lot_ guys. Stay together and the moment I say run, we run." Leo said.

"Awe, c'mon Leo. We can take em'!" Raph said.

Leonardo didn't have a chance to reply as all the ninja's attacked. Leo didn't miss a beat, he was slicing his way through enemy after enemy, being sure to hit to maim or kill; as long as they didn't get back up. Raph was doing just fine on his own, his Sai's bringing more enemies down than Leo's Katana's. Donnie was doing good too, he never fought to kill, he just knocked them out cold with his Bo. Simple, yet effective. Mikey of course was taunting and teasing, acting like he was having the time of his life.

"You call that a punch? I know a 17 year old girl who can hit harder than that!" Mikey teased while ducking a punch towards his head. His Nunchuck's were twirling and hitting each target. Mikey was like Donnie; he didn't fight to kill. But while he was similar to Donnie, he had never actually killed anyone before, Donnie had.

Leo was trying to keep an eye out for all of his brother's while battling his own ninjas. It was a tough task, but he'd been doing it ever since the first time they went topside. The sheer number of the Foot were overwhelming and Leo was becoming worried. Leo got slugged in the side and he doubled over for a second before hitting the ground and swiping his legs around in a circle; bringing down the small group that had cornered him. Raph was getting hit more often now too, their stamina running low after half an hour of fighting.

Donnie was getting tired. The more they kept fighting the more their enemies came at them. It seemed as if they weren't even making a dent. Donatello was currently getting his shell handed to him too. He dodged as many attacks that hit him. They seemed to want to incapacitate him, and that made him worried. They weren't fighting to destroy. They were fighting to collect.

"Leo! We need to leave! Now!" Donnie yelled.

"Not exactly a good-ugh-time!" Leo said after getting kicked in the chest.

"They're here to collect!" Don yelled.

"What?" Raph asked, not understanding.

"They don't want to kill! They want to obtain!" Don yelled again, blocking a Katana with his Bo.

Leo and Raph understood and with a last burst of strength knocked their groups to the ground with a spinning kick. There was a grunting sound and the brothers turned to see Michelangelo on the ground, a dart sticking out of his arm.

"Mikey!" Raph shouted and ran towards his youngest brother.

There was a whistle blown and soon the area around them exploded in a cloud of smoke. It was enough to choke them and they fell to their knees gasping for air.

"L-Leo?" Raph yelled out. "Donnie? M-Mikey?"

"I'm h-here!" Donatello coughed out.

"Ditto!" Leo got out.

The smoke finally cleared and the brothers were completely alone. All of the Foot ninja were gone.

"Mikey?" Leo called out, heart pounding.

"Mike?!" Don yelled out next. They jumped up to the rooftops, scouring the entire area for any sign of their little brother.

"MIKEY!" Raph shouted into the night.

But there was no answer.

Michelangelo was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story! I appreciate the feedback so much! This chapter is a bit darker, so be prepared. Please review some more and let me know what y'all think! I love reviews since they give me warm and fuzzies and of course warm and fuzzies are the best!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles. If I did, I'd be sitting in a mansion and eating Dorito Spicy Nachos all day. Mmmm…spicy nachos….**

Chapter 2: Where's Mikey?!

_This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. _

"Can you see him Raph?"

_This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening._

"No Leo."

_This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening._

"We've looked everywhere." Donatello said miserably.

"He's out there somewhere; we just need to look harder." Leonardo said determinedly.

"MIKEY!" Raph yelled out on the rooftops.

"Raph, quiet down, we don't want to attract too much attention." Leo told his brother.

"MIKEY!" Raph yelled again, completely ignoring his brother.

"Raphael, that's enough." Leonardo said firmly.

"Don't start on me Leo." Raph warned, turning to look at his older brother.

"I'm not, I'm just stating that we need to be quiet, yelling into the night isn't going to find Mike. It'll just alert the Foot to where we are." Leo said calmly.

"We gotta find him." Raph said.

"I know, and we will." Leo said. His voice sounded sure but on the inside he was terrified. They'd been captured before of course, but normally it was together, or it was Raph or Leo. Mikey had never been captured alone before.

"It's almost day break, lets head back to the lair and regroup." Leo said.

"I ain't goin' back to the lair without Mike." Raph said dangerously.

"We don't have many options Raph, we need to rest, we've been at it all night." Don added.

"I don't care. Mikey's out there with the Foot! Who friggin' knows what they're doin' to him!" Raph shouted.

"I may be able to see if I can trace where his shell cell is, we still haven't found it so maybe it's still on him. I can't do that unless we go back to the lair though." Don replied.

"I don't like this." Raph said.

"None of us do, but it's the best shot we have." Leo said.

Raph looked out towards the city again, wishing he could find some sort of sign as to where Michelangelo was. Donatello walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. Raphael resisted the urge to shrug him off; he knew Don was just trying to make him feel better. Without another word to one another, they headed towards the lair.

They arrived quickly, each of them running much faster than they normally did. They had yet to tell Master Splinter what happened, hoping that they wouldn't have the need to worry the older rat. Unfortunately, they could no longer hide the truth. Michelangelo was gone, and they had no idea where he was. Leonardo knew that the task of telling their Master was on him. His heart felt heavy as he thought about what his teacher would say. Of course he would be disappointed and furious too most likely, for allowing his youngest brother to be captured. Leo himself could not believe he had been so careless. He _knew_ letting Mike go topside for a human party was a bad idea. But instead of doing as his gut told him to, he allowed himself to be suckered into letting Mike go. This was all his fault. He's supposed to be the responsible one and he let his eyes off of him for one second and look what happened.

He had failed.

He had failed and Mikey was paying the price.

"C'mon Leo." Raph's voice interrupted his inner monologue as he pulled the lever that allowed them into the lair.

They entered the lair and Leo could feel the heaviness of their situation. Don and Raph looked at Leo as he looked at their Master's room. Leo took a deep breath and walked in, Don walking towards his lab and Raph right outside of their Master's door. Master Splinter was meditating and Leo hesitated.

"Kneel, my son." His Sensei said without opening his eyes.

Leo looked at the floor and did as he was told. He didn't speak again, waiting for his Master to address him first. It was silent for a few moments, but then Master Splinter's brow furrowed and he opened his eyes to look at his oldest son.

"What is troubling you Leonardo?"

Leo looked at the floor in shame. "I…I have terrible news…"

Master Splinter's expression changed to one of deep concern. He had never seen in oldest son look so…_distressed_.

"What is it my son?"

"It's, it's Mikey." Leo replied hoarsely.

"What has happened to Michelangelo?" The old rat demanded, his own heart rate accelerating.

"He's gone." Leo whispered.

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"He…he was captured Sensei, by the Foot. We've looked everywhere for him and we can't find him. It's all my fault, I took my eyes off of him for a few seconds, just a few. He had a dart sticking out of his arm and he was unconscious, lying on the floor. We tried to reach him but they threw a ton of smoke pellets and by the time the smoke cleared Mike was gone. I'm sorry Sensei, I'm so sorry! I failed. I failed you, I failed this family, and I failed Mikey." Leo added with a whisper. His face looking towards the ground in shame. He could hear his Sensei's breathing increase, heard his heart beat faster for a moment before it returned to the normal and calm steady beat.

"Leonardo." Master Splinter said, the tone of his voice urging the older turtle to look up. Leo couldn't do it, couldn't look into his eyes and see the disappointment, the accusation.

"Leonardo." Master Splinter repeated, his voice firmer. Leo slowly looked up; his eyes meeting his teacher's, and instead of seeing disappointment or judgment he saw concern and fear. "You are correct in saying that this is indeed terrible news. However, you are incorrect in saying that you have failed this family. You were ambushed and our enemies used cowardly tactics in order to take one of our own. This is not your fault my son."

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Sensei…"

Master Splinter raised a hand to silence him. "Let us concentrate on finding Michelangelo."

"I tried to track his shell cell, but it's been turned off. I can't even override the system to turn it on. I think it's been destroyed." Donatello said as he walked into Splinter's room, Raphael right behind him.

"So where do we go from here?" Raph asked.

"We need to alert our friends, we will need all the help that we can get. We shall search the city, leaving no stone unturned. But first, my sons, you shall rest. You will be of no use to Michelangelo if you are exhausted and unfocused. I will call Ms. O'Neal and Mr. Jones." Master Splinter said.

His three sons bowed their heads towards him. "Hai Sensei."

The old rat patted his son's shoulders as he walked out of his room and towards the living room. Leo's shoulders slumped the moment his father walked out of the room. He covered his face in his hands and released a huge breath he hadn't even noticed that he was holding. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, he turned and saw Donatello giving him a small smile.

"We're gonna find him Donnie." Leo said.

Don resisted the urge to roll his eyes, ever the big brother Leo was trying to comfort him when Donatello was the one trying to comfort Leo.

"I know." Don replied.

"What do we do now?" Raph asked again.

"Get some rest I guess." Leo replied.

Raph snorted. "Like any of us are going to be able to sleep."

Leo sighed, knowing Raphael was right. Sleep was the farthest thing from Leo's mind. But Master Splinter wouldn't be pleased to find out that they deliberately disobeyed his orders.

"Look, Master Splinter isn't one to be fooled, I know none of us can even think about sleeping right now. However, meditating isn't such a bad idea. Our bodies will get some rest, Splinter will be pleased, and who knows we may even be able to get a hold of Mikey." Leo offered.

"I'm not one for meditating." Raph replied.

Leo sent him a sharp look. "And I'm not debating this with you. Meditation will give us literal, physical rest. Our minds will be sharper and our bodies will be rejuvenated. Three hours should be sufficient and then we look for Mike again."

Raph opened his mouth to argue, but Donatello pulled on his arm urging him out of the room. Don dragged Raph with him into his lab.

"What the hell Donnie?" Raph demanded once they were out of ear shot.

"You were going to start another pointless argument that was just going to irritate Leo and piss you off! This isn't about you and Leo and your stupid endless arguing with each other, this is about Mikey and getting him back home!" Donatello said heatedly.

Raph's eyes widened in shock. Donnie barely cursed, not that Raphael considered 'piss' an actual curse word, but still it was weird to hear Donatello so angry. And unfortunately he was right. Raph was just pissed, more than pissed actually, he was downright livid and he needed to expel some of that rage; his older brother had seemed the perfect target as usual. But their sole concern needed to be Mikey and getting him back.

Raph sighed. " Yer right Don, I'm sorry."

Don narrowed his eyes slightly before grabbing his laptop. "Just, try to meditate alright? I'm not sure it'll work either, but I'm willing to try anything."

"Yeah, me too Donnie." Raph replied, patting Donnie on the shell before walking out of the lab and up the stairs to his room. Don went to his own room as well, passing by Master Splinter on the phone with either Casey or April. Leo hadn't emerged from Master Splinter's room and Don thought he was probably going to stay there and meditate.

Leo heard his brother's entire conversation and he was glad that Donnie had talked to Raph. Leonardo never seemed to be able to get through to the always angry turtle. He wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now. Leo took a deep, steadying breath and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes and allowed the calming incense and burning candles to soothe him into a state of absolute silence and meditation.

OoOoOoO

_Man…my head…_ Michelangelo thought to himself as he tried to open his eyes. Unfortunately they weren't exactly cooperating with him at the moment.

_Ugh…I'm soooooo tired…why am I so tired?_ And then it hit him. The party, the walk home, the attack from the Foot, and the—

The dart.

The dart that had embedded itself in his arm and that's when he had met the concrete up close and personally. This left only one conclusion.

He'd been captured.

_Fan-freakin-tastic_. Mike thought to himself. He really needed to get up, take a look at his surroundings so he could get the heck outta there. Slowly but surely his eyes started opening. At first his vision was so foggy all he could see were swirling colors, but eventually the fog settled and he could see clearly.

And of course the first thing his eyes land on is the array of surgical instruments and needles lying on a metal table. He tried to get up, but of course he was restrained. His wrists and ankles bound in thick leather straps that had metal cuffs on top of them. He looked around and saw he was in some kind of lab, strapped down to a metal medical table. The room was chilly and silent aside from the low buzz of the fluorescent light shining down at him. Mike tried to snap the restraints but it was useless, they were locked tight around his appendages. He started panicking, thinking that his brothers were around here somewhere too, probably all strapped to similar tables. His only concern was getting to his brothers. Soon the door opened.

A man wearing a white lab coat came in, surrounded by Foot ninja's. Someone was standing in the back but Mike couldn't see them.

"Uh…sup' guys?" Mike tried for an easy smile.

The man in the coat said nothing as he walked towards the table with the instruments on them. Mike started sweating, his heart pounding against his chest as fear gripped him. He tried to quell the fear, tried to not show it.

"So is this where the evil villain comes out and starts monologuing? I mean, that's what normally happens in these situations right? The lame speech about world domination and what not. Well, I don't really have time for that, ya see I gotta get back soon I'm about to cream my brothers' old high score in Pac-Man and I have _got_ to see the look on his face when I beat him." Mikey's mouth spewed out. He was naturally a talker of course, but when he got nervous and scared he babbled like an idiot about anything and everything.

The man in the lab coat filled a needle full of a milky looking liquid. Mike eyed it warily and squirmed in his bonds.

"So, what is that stuff. I'm asking cos' I have a lot of allergies and believe me, you don't want me sneezing all over the place. Once I start I can't ever seem to stop." He babbled.

"Silence turtle." A feminine voice said.

_Wait a sec…I know that voice…_ "Karai?"

Karai emerged from the group of Foot ninja and made her to stand directly in front of Michelangelo. "You were particularly difficult to capture." She mused.

Mike narrowed his eyes but said nothing; the shock of seeing her was slightly overwhelming. Karai had never been an ally of course, but they had fought on the same side before.

"Where are the others?" Karai demanded and despite the situation, Mikey breathed a sigh of relief. His brothers' were okay.

Karai smirked. "Do not look so relieved turtle, we will have them soon enough. One, however, will suffice for now. You will tell us yourself where the rest are."

Mikey scoffed. "Yeah right."

Karai looked at the man in white and muttered something in her native tongue. The man walked up to Michelangelo and swiped an alcohol pad on his arm before plunging the needle into his skin. Mikey had never liked needles, they always gave him the creeps and he hissed in pain as the needle pierced his skin.

"Hey! Give a guy a bit warning next time!" He cried.

Karai simply smirked at him. Mike narrowed his eyes at her before he felt something weird happen. His heart started accelerating, much faster than it should and the acceleration continued until it was painful. His heart slamming against his chest as he lungs caught on fire.

"W-What's going on?" Mike panted.

"Where are the others?"

His heart clenched and his lungs exploded as fire made its way through his entire body. His back arched off the table, his eyes squeezing tightly shut in an attempt to help with the unbearable pain. The fire was making its way through his veins now, traveling the length of his body and lighting every nerve. He kept his mouth clenched shut, afraid that the moment he opened it he wouldn't be able to stop screaming. He couldn't take this much longer and it had hardly been a minute. The toxin made its way up to his head and he was pretty sure he just splattered brain matter all over the walls with the pain he was now feeling. His head felt as if he had literally exploded. White hot pain reverberated in his head and this time he couldn't keep his screams in.

"Scream louder turtle, maybe your brothers will hear and come." Karai sneered.

Mike let out a blood curdling scream as his body was lit on fire. The pain so intense that he was pretty sure he would pass out soon. He welcomed that thought, at least then he wouldn't be able to feel anything. Of course he wasn't allowed that luxury, the toxin kept his heart at such a fast pace that sleep would be impossible.

"I'll ask again…where are the others?"

Mike's only reply was his screams of pain.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far! I really, REALLY appreciate it! You guys are so very awesome! I'm popping up chapters a lot faster than I thought I would! Lol. Keep the reviews coming! Apparently my Muse is using them as fuel!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles. I don't think I'll ever own the turtles. Tis a tragedy, tis such a tragedy. **

Chapter 3: Getting Nowhere

He was thrown unceremoniously into a small, dark, damp cage. His body scraped against the cement floor. Michelangelo was limp, his body completely exhausted after the torment he had just been through. The milky liquid had been in his system for half an hour before it had finally worn off. Karai had just stood there and watched as his body was attacked by the toxin. She had smirked while Mikey screamed his head off, only asking one question; where were his brothers? He absolutely refused to tell her anything, refused to speak actually, well if you didn't count the screaming. She enjoyed his pain, enjoyed his screams; she was sick. Sick and twisted. Mike relished the cold floor, after the fire that was in his system. He was still panting for breath, trying to gulp in as much air as possible into his burning lungs. Mike could see a small bowl of water in the corner of his cage. He heaved himself up with shaky limbs, almost immediately falling back to the floor. He tried again, this time just clawing his way towards the bowl. Once he reached the bowl he gulped three huge mouthfuls, thankful for the cool water. He lay back down, his cheek pressing into the floor. What else were they going to do to him? He couldn't take another shot of that milky crap, there's no way. He was surprised he was still alive. Surely something that hurt that bad should've killed him. But it didn't. Despite the lack of air and the burning of his insides, he was still alive.

He was still alive.

And his brothers were coming for him. He knew that much. He knew they wouldn't rest until they found him. He was comforted with that thought. Mike felt a surge of relief and hope. And with it came a new resolve; he would not fail his brothers. He would not let Karai know anything about them or their location. He would die first.

OoOoOoO

"Of all of us…why'd it have to be Mikey…" Raphael asked himself out loud. He was sitting on a random rooftop, just looking at the city. They had finished their meditating an hour ago and none of them had gotten anywhere. Casey and April were on their way; they were finishing up a delivery. Raph just couldn't believe it. His little brother was gone. Mikey; who was so full of life and laughter, who could make any bad situation better with just one goofy smile, who pulled prank after prank and irritated the hell out of him yet still brought a smirk or smile to his Raph's face. Who knew what was happening to Mike right now. The Foot weren't known for their kindness. Mikey was the youngest, so what did they want with him? If they were going to take anyone they should've taken Raph. Raph had killed more Foot ninja than any of his brothers. He was the brawn of the group and had pissed off more of their enemies than all of them. And if they weren't going to take Raph then surely Leo was a target. He was their leader after all. He had more of a hand in the Shredder's death than anyone else. And if not Raph or Leo, then Donnie would seemingly be next. He was the brains of their whole operation. He was wicked smart and they wouldn't survive a week without him. But then again, they couldn't survive without Mikey either. He was the glue that held them all together. He was the only one who could make Leo and Raph stop fighting, the only one who could get Donnie to eat whenever he trapped himself in the lab, the only one who could get Master Splinter to truly laugh like a full on belly laugh. He was so vital to their family…so vital to Raphael.

"Where are ya Mikey?" Raph asked the night.

He heard soft footsteps behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to.

"How ya doin' Raph?" Casey asked him softly. Raphael took a deep breath and looked at his best friend. Casey's eyes softened as he took in the turtles face.

Raph looked exhausted. Hell, he looked more than exhausted he looked like death. He had never seen Raphael so defeated before, not even when Leo was in South America.

"M'fine." Raph grunted.

"You ain't gotta lie to me Raph." Casey told him.

"I ain't lyin'."

"S'okay. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here for ya." Casey said, patting his best friend on the shell.

Raph said nothing as he looked back out at the city. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Raphael spoke.

"Why him?"

Casey looked at Raph and frowned. "I dunno."

Raph narrowed his eyes, got to his feet and spoke, harsher this time. "I mean seriously Casey, why him? Why Mikey? He ain't never even killed anyone before! Me and Leo have a body count that's more than likely close to the friggin' thousands! Even Donnie has killed before! Why Mike?! He ain't done nuttin' to anyone!"

"I know Raph-"

"They took him though Case! They took him right in fronta me! I couldn't do a damn thing about it neither! And we can't find him! We have no idea where he could be! We've looked everywhere; he's ain't at any of the normal Foot hiding places, he ain't in any warehouses, he ain't at the lair, he ain't ANYWHERE!" Raph screamed.

Casey said nothing, just let the hotheaded turtle get all his rage out. He needed this; needed the release because he was no doubt trying to be strong in front of his brothers.

"THEY TOOK MY BABY BROTHER! THEY TOOK HIM AND I CAN'T DO A DAMN THING! WHAT THE HELL?! WHY COULDN'T THEY'VE TAKEN ME?! WHY MIKEY?! WHY MY BABY BROTHER?! I'LL KILL THEM ALL. DO YA HEAR THAT YA DAMN COWARDS?! I WILL KILL YOU ALL! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YA! I WON'T REST TILL I CAN FILL THE SEWERS WITH YOUR BLOOD!" Raph screamed, his throat sore with the action. He was panting heavily and his whole body shook. He finally sank to his knees and bowed his head. Casey wasn't at all surprised by the outburst, and he was glad that he was the only one to witness it. He walked over to Raph and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Why Mikey, Casey?" Raph whispered hoarsely. "Why my baby brother?"

Casey said nothing as he wrapped a soothing arm around Raphael's shoulders. He felt Raph's body shake and Casey knew he was keeping the tears at bay. He let a few moments pass as Raph got a hold of himself; his breathing returning to normal and his body slumping from the physical toll the outburst had cost him.

"They wanna drive ya mad Raph. That's why they took him; to inflict the most pain they possibly could on ya guys. What's worse than takin' the one thing that all of ya protect at all costs?"

Raphael knew what Casey said was right. The Foot had fought with them enough to know that Mikey was the most protected out of all them. He was the youngest. Leo looked after Raph, Donnie, and Mikey; his three little brothers. Raph looked after Donnie and Mikey; his two little brothers. Donnie looked after Mikey; his one little brother. Mikey didn't have a little brother, just three older ones; three older one who constantly kept an eye on him at all times. And the Foot know it. They know that Mike's the youngest and that all three of them would do anything they could to protect him. It's what big brother's did.

"I meant what I said." Raphael said quietly.

"Which part?" Casey asked.

"The part about killin' all of em." Raph said, deadly serious. He turned his eyes to look right at Casey. "I'm gonna kill each and every last one of em. I won't rest until every bastard that had a hand in this has met my Sai's up close and personal."

"I'll be right there with ya buddy." Casey replied.

OoOoOoO

"I'm so sorry guys." April said as tears poured down her face.

"It's okay April." Donatello replied, patting her hand.

"What can I do to help?" April asked, wiping the tears with the back of her hand.

"We need ears and eyes everywhere. The Foot aren't hiding at any of their usual spots and we're getting nowhere. We just keep hitting dead ends. We know they're still in the city though." Leo said.

"How do you know that?" April asked.

"When I was meditating, I could feel my son. He was…in some pain." Master Splinter replied. He didn't tell his sons everything he had heard when he made contact with Michelangelo. They didn't need the image in their heads. The sounds of his youngest gut wrenching screams will forever haunt him. It was truly the most terrible sound he had ever heard.

"So…if you can feel him then he's close by?" April asked.

"Yes. If he was further away, then I would not have been able to hear him as clearly." Master Splinter replied.

"Well…that's good news; well the part about him being in the city, not the pain part." April added hastily.

"Our next step is to go where the Mikey's cell shell was last transmitting a location. I've got it narrowed down to a tower a few blocks away from Chinatown, where East Broadway meets Pike Street." Don said.

"What's the plan then?" April asked.

"Master Splinter is going to stay here and make sure the lair is secured and also try and see if he can get a hold of Mikey again. The rest of us are going to go down there and look for clues, listen out for any talk of Mike by any Foot that may be walking around." Leo answered.

"What do you need me to do?" April asked.

"We need you to keep an eye out on security cameras around the city. I've got about ten monitors hooked up to several different cameras around the area Mikey was taken as well as where his shell cell last was. Any suspicious activity needs to be reported to us immediately. Of course I don't expect you to stay up all day and all night so whenever you need a break, just let us know." Donatello told her.

April narrowed her eyes at him. "I won't rest until Mikey is home."

Donatello smiled tiredly at her. "We appreciate the sentiment April, but we can't just let you exhaust yourself."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." April insisted.

Donatello opened his mouth to argue but Master Splinter cut him off. "We appreciate all that you are willing to do for us Ms. O'Neil."

April smiled at Master Splinter. "Anything you guys need. You're family, and family does whatever they can for one another."

"We should get going, the longer we wait, the longer Mikey's there." Leo said.

"Where's Raph?"

"I'm right here." The red banded turtle said. His family turned and saw him walking with Casey into the living room.

Leo eyed him suspiciously. Raph looked like crap; he was slightly pale and Leonardo knew that if he removed his mask that he would have dark circles under his eyes. This was obviously taking a rather large toll on him.

"You okay?" Leo asked him.

"M'fine" Raph replied gruffly.

"Are you sure?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure Leo, can we go now?" Raph asked, irritated.

Leo was going to retort something angrily but he received a look from his father that clearly told him to keep his mouth shut.

"We'll call if we see or hear anything." Donnie told April and Casey.

"Ya sure you guys don't need me to come along?" Casey asked.

"We'd feel much better knowing you were here helping to protect April and Master Splinter. Plus, we still need someone to run patrol close to here." Leo told him.

Casey nodded.

"Be careful my sons. And please…bring me back Michelangelo." Master Splinter said.

One by one his sons embraced him, even Raphael. "Hai Sensei." They replied.

"I love you, my sons." He said as they walked out of the lair.

"We do too father." Leo responded.

Once they were gone April laid a comforting hand on Master Splinter's shoulder.

"They're gonna get him back." She told him.

"I know they will." He replied.

OoOoOoO

A light burst in the room his cage was in. Mike put a hand over his eyes, trying to protect them from the brightness. His cage was open and hands were suddenly grabbing him. Michelangelo elbowed one of them in the face, the guard cried out in pain as his nose broke. Mike got a good kick to the shin of another guard while head butting the one in front of him. The hands loosened their grips and Mikey was about to take off running when he was hit in the back of his head by something heavy. Black spots danced in front of his eyes and he sank to his knees. The world started spinning and he was being dragged into another room. Before he could even speak or move on his own again he was strapped back down to that damn table again. He struggled in vain against the heavy straps binding him, even though the room was full of Foot ninja he had to give it a shot.

"Struggling is useless Michelangelo." Karai said as she emerged from the shadows.

Mike just started at her, his expression dripping with venom and hatred.

"Are you ready to tell me where the others are hiding?"

"Screw you." Mike replied.

Karai smirked. "So more persuasion is needed then."

Mike tried to control his breathing, but his heart raced as he saw the man in the white lab coat enter the room.

"You are scared, aren't you Michelangelo?" Karai stated more than asked.

"Scared? Me? Nah, just a bit antsy. I always get anxious when I'm forced to stare at something ugly for too long." Mike replied.

Karai snarled at him before smacking him hard in the face. The hit had him reeling. Who knew that tiny chick could hit so stinkin' hard?!

"I see that yesterday wasn't enough for you." She replied scathingly before snapping her fingers. The man in the white coat walked to a table again, filled a needle with milky looking liquid and made his way towards Mike. Mike's eyes went wide and his struggles renewed.

"Are you going to beg me not to?" Karai asked.

"I believe I said 'screw you' earlier so allow me to use a new phrase. Hell to the no." Mike replied.

Karai narrowed her eyes, nodded at the man in white, and Mike was thrown back into the world of white hot pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I can't believe all of the amazing reviews I keep getting! You guys seriously rock my socks off! I am so very humbled at the kind words y'all have said to me. I hope you continue to love this story, and please let me know how you think it's going! =]]**

**Disclaimer: *looks left* *looks right* Hmm….nope. Still don't own em. Gonna go throw a pity party now. Anyone else wanna come?**

Chapter 4: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.

The night air was crisp, almost cold but not quite there yet. They ran as fast as they could, trying to get to the place there brother had possibly been last. Donatello was keeping an on his GPS device, waiting to tell the others that they had arrived. The trek was a silent one, each one lost in their own thoughts. Leo had been silent about his feelings, constantly making sure Raph and Donnie were doing okay. Don knew that Leo would snap soon. It was only a matter of time. Raph had already snapped. He didn't know, but Donatello had been on his way up to talk to Casey when Raph had had his little outburst. He was sad that Raph didn't feel comfortable enough to talk to him and Leo about it, but he was thankful that Casey had been there for him. Of course both Leo and Raph were constantly checking on Don. They didn't think he noticed, but he could see them constantly sending sideways glances towards him. Or how they've been hovering over him whenever he's looking for something on his computer. Or how right now, as they're running, they've put him in the middle and up front slightly, the two of them hanging back to keep a better eye on him. They weren't as stealthy as they thought they were. Donatello was warmed by the fact that his brother's cared so much for him, but he was saddened that they felt the need to do this too.

"I'm not gonna disappear." He told them.

Leo and Raph looked at him, feigning innocence at first until Don looked over his shoulder and gave them his 'I know what you're doing so don't try to fool me' look.

"We're just being careful." Leo said.

"You're like two huge walls, blocking anyone from getting in." Don said with a small smile.

"We ain't lettin' anyone take you too." Raph growled.

Don felt that warmth again as he took in the fierceness of his brothers words. They really would do anything to protect him and Mikey. Unfortunately they had been too late with Mikey. Donatello felt the warmth disappear the moment he thought of his little brother. He knew that the Foot had them and were more than likely torturing him. Don's heart race picked up as a thousand different images filled his head. He had books on torture; seen pictures on the internet of what they used to do to prisoners during the Renaissance. He knew that the Foot wanted information and that they chose to take Mikey because he was the youngest, they thought he would be an easy target, an easy break. What if they did break him? What if they took away everything that made Mikey who he was? What if the completely stripped him of all sense of self and all that they would find would be an empty shell, the true Michelangelo lost forever? What if he was already dead? What if they killed him that first night? He may never see his little brother again; never hear his laughter fill the lair after pulling a prank, never see the sheer look of awe and wonder in his eyes as Don finished another invention.

Don couldn't breathe. Emotion overwhelmed him and his body couldn't take it; he fell to his knees.

"Donnie!" Leo yelled as he and Raph ran to their little brother's side. Leo grabbed onto Don's shoulders, trying to look at his face. Don dragged in ragged breaths of air.

"He's hyperventilatin'." Raph said.

Leo's eyes grew wide and he grabbed Don's chin and forced him to look into Leo's eyes.

"Look at me Donnie. Concentrate on me, listen to me okay? You need to breathe in deep through your nose and slowly let it out of your mouth. Can you do that for me?" Leo asked. Don nodded as he took a short shaky breath in before letting it out.

"Good." Leo encouraged rubbing Don's shoulders. Raphael was rubbing Donnie's shell soothingly.

Don took another breath in, then he let it out. In…out…in…out…over and over again until he could breathe normally again. The whole time he was doing that Leo kept his eyes on him, forcing Donnie to do the same; never letting go of his chin.

"You okay?" Raph asked.

"I-I think so." Donatello replied somewhat hoarsely. Leo released his chin and helped him to his feet.

"What happened?" Leonardo asked.

"I…I was…just thinking…"

"Thinkin' about what?" Raphael demanded.

"Mikey…" Don whispered, hanging his head low again.

Raph cursed under his breath. Leo, however, narrowed his eyes in determination.

"Don." Leo said firmly.

Don didn't reply so Leo grabbed his chin again, forcing him to look up at his older brother. "We're going to get him back."

"But—"

"No 'buts'. We're going to find him and bring him back safely. He will be up and running around irritating the hell out of all us in no time. This is how it's going to be. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ is going to keep us separated from him." Leo said fiercely.

Donnie looked in his big brother's eyes and saw nothing but determination and absolute assurance in them. It filled Donnie with hope and some of his fears slipped away.

"Do you understand Donatello?" Leo asked. Donnie smiled slightly. Leo was using his full name, he meant business then.

"Yeah, I understand." Don replied.

Leo nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Good, then let's go find our little brother."

OoOoOoO

He was being strapped to that cursed table again. He knew he was. He could feel hands strapping him in, taunting him, wanting him to struggle. But he couldn't. That last round with the 'juice of doom' he had so lovingly called it, had really taken a toll on him. He immediately fell unconscious once they threw him back into the cage. Of course he was awoken mere hours later for another round with Karai and the doctor from hell.

"You are quite persistent turtle. I didn't expect this much defiance." Karai said once Michelangelo was fully strapped to the table again.

"What can I say? Defiance is my middle name." Mikey replied hoarsely.

Karai narrowed her eyes. "You wish for more pain? I can make this end. I can make it all end, all you have to do is tell me where the other four are at."

"Four?" Mikey asked confused. They already had him; Leo, Raph, and Donnie were safe. Who else was…she…

Karai smirked. "Ah…you didn't think he was a target as well?"

Master Splinter. His teacher. His Sensei. His _father_. They wanted him too, and now it was painfully obvious. Mikey's resolve hardened.

"Well?" Karai asked.

"Well what?"

"Are you ready to tell me where the others are?"

"Let's see…I've used 'screw you' and 'hell to the no' already…hmm…oh here's a good one; how bout when hell freezes over." Michelangelo replied.

Karai reared her hand back and smacked him in the face like she had done earlier. Mike was still shocked at how hard the chick could hit. He tasted the copper and knew she had cracked his gums open.

"Let's try something new." She said with venom in her voice. Despite the fact that nothing good could come from this, Mikey was relieved he wasn't going to be injected again. Karai snapped her fingers and Dr. Death was moving around him and placing little white pad things all over his body; one on each arm two on each leg, two on his chest. Michelangelo was confused, so he did what any normal teenage mutant ninja turtle would do in his position. He joked.

"Alright, I gotta admit, I was thinking you were going to do something absolutely horrible to me. But these little white pads do bring out the color of my eyes."

"Keep joking Michelangelo, while you can. I'm sure you will find this new method…_electrifying_." Karai hissed.

Mike had about a second of realization before his whole body went rigid. An electric current was making its way throughout his entire form. His veins felt as if they were trying to burst out of his body as every muscle he had contracted painfully. And as soon as it started, it stopped. Mike fell back on the table and gasped for air.

"That was just a small taste of what is to come if you do not tell me where the others stay. What is it your master has taught you? What is he planning?"

"The…Shredder is…dead…why are…you doing this?" Mike asked as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He was given a few seconds of the shock treatment for his trouble.

"I will avenge my master. And you will tell me everything." Karai snarled.

"Never." Michelangelo replied.

"Let's see how you handle a full minute?" Karai replied. And with a snap of her fingers the shock treatment turned on again.

Mike's back arched off the table again. His whole body seizing, contorting, contracting, as the lightning traveled through his body. It lasted forever, and he couldn't think. His brain going numb while every nerve ending in his body was on full alert. It stopped long enough for Karai to ask her questions again. Michelangelo made no reply and the torture resumed. Question…shock…question…shock…over and over and over again.

"Enough." Karai said quietly. "If we continue we'll kill him, and we still need him."

Mike was completely limp as he was unstrapped and put back into his cage. Of course they couldn't just do that though, no, his guards felt the need to take advantage of the immobile turtle as they kicked him; laughing when he grunted in pain. He couldn't stop them, could only accept blow after blow until they finally tired of him and left.

_Hurry guys…_was all Mikey thought as he welcomed blissful unconsciousness.

OoOoOoO

They were back at the lair after a very uneventful and unrevealing trip to where they had last received transmission from Mikey's cell shell. They had found the remaining destroyed pieces of it and Donnie had been in his lab ever since, trying to find some kind of clue to where they had taken his brother. It had been nearly two days since Mikey was taken and Donnie hadn't slept a wink. Master Splinter was in a state of constant meditation, trying to get a location on Mike. Raph got a few hours of sleep when Casey all but dragged him to his room and then stood guard at his door. Leo seemed to have gotten a few hours as well on the couch, which is where he currently was too, still sleeping. But Don? He'd gotten none; had actually lied to his brothers and told them he'd caught some Z's when he was in his lab. They bought it hook line and sinker as well. Donnie had each individual piece under his microscopes, looking for some kind of material or organism or fiber that would give some indication on where Michelangelo was being kept.

He had nothing.

He had absolutely _nothing_. No fibers, no organism, no material, no plant life. He was getting desperate. Two days without Mikey; without word of where he was, no ransom note, no ransom call. _Nothing._

He was the smart one! He was the one who was supposed to be able to find things that no one else couldn't! Why couldn't he find Mikey? Why couldn't he find one stupid, miniscule clue as to where his only little brother was? What was he missing? Because he had to be missing something. He didn't have this big giant brain for nothing! He had it to use it! Why couldn't he use it right? Why couldn't he think straight or concentrate? What was wrong with him?! His little brother needed him and he couldn't even help him! Couldn't focus long enough to find the missing pieces!

"What's _wrong_ with me?!" Donatello shouted as he slammed his fists on his desk. His breathing had turned harsh, his chest heaving as anger and guilt tore through his body. He took deep shaky breaths and didn't even hear anyone enter the room.

"Careful there Brainiac, don't wanna halfta stitch ya up myself, remember the last time I had ta do that?" Raph's voice said from behind him.

Don whipped around and stared at his older brother, but said nothing.

"Ya remember don't ya? It was Mikey. The little goofball painted my room pink while I was out and when I came home and saw it, I chased after him."

Don smiled a bit. "He was cackling like a mad man the entire time."

"Yeah he did. He taunted me the entire time. I swear, I had neva wanted to beat the little punk so hard before in my life. He was so quick though." Raph added, a smirk rising to his lips.

Don chuckled softly. "He's always been fast. Still is. I can never catch him at ninja tag."

Raph barked a short laugh. "No one can! Fearless can't even get within an inch of him. Knew he'd be quick though. Eva since he was a kid he was faster than the rest of us."

"He tripped on the coffee table once you guys made it to the living room." Don continued the story.

"I saw it all in slow motion. Mikey's knee caught the table at the wrong angle and he went spiralin'. You were so shook up at the amount of blood."

"Give a guy a break Raph, I was 10!" Don cried.

Raph chuckled. "Hey, I wasn't the one cryin'."

"I didn't cry." Don mumbled, cheeks turning slightly red.

"Anyways, ya couldn't hold the needle straight and Mikey wasn't makin' it any easier with his wailin' so I did it. Crap job of course, but it worked. I think he still has the scar too." Raph said with a shake of his head.

"Oh man and he milked that wound for weeks!" Don laughed.

"The little brat made me carry him everywhere!"

"Master Splinter made you tend to his every whim!"

"Worst. Punishment. Ever." Raph said with a fake shudder.

"How many times did you have you go up to his room and get him a comic book?" Don asked.

"I can't even remember! I think I had to have gotten him like 80 or somethin'. And every time I came down with a new one he'd say 'Nah, I don't want that one.' And I'd halfta drag my ass back upstairs and get him another one."

Don and Raph chuckled a bit, before silence reigned again. Don looked up at Raphael and blinked back tears that were threatening to spill.

"I miss him." Donnie said.

Raph patted his shoulder. "Me too Donnie, me too."

Leo emerged from the living room and walked up to his brothers. "We all do."

"Any word from Master Splinter?" Don asked, stifling a yawn and hoping Leo hadn't caught it.

Of course this is Donnie's life we're talking about and Leo never missed anything.

"No. And it's time you got some sleep. C'mon Donnie." Leo said as he grabbed his little brother's arms and pulled him up from his chair.

"But, the monitors. April went home to sleep and I need to watch them. Plus, I have a few things fermenting right now and when the timer goes off I need to add the chemical to see if there's a reaction and—"

"We'll watch the monitors. And I'll drop the chemical once the timer goes off, just let me know how much and which one." Leo said.

"I have to do it Leo, you wouldn't—"

"You're going to sleep. Now, which one and how much?" Leo demanded. He was using his 'I'm the leader and the big brother and this isn't up for discussion' voice. Donatello sighed and pointed towards the blue liquid, instructing his brother to only administer a teaspoon. Leo nodded and walked with Don up to his room. Don reluctantly climbed into his bed, but the moment his head hit the pillow he was out. Leo smiled fondly at his brother and turned off his light before closing the door. Don sighed in his sleep, snuggling closer to his pillow, reliving happy memories of when his little brother was home safe and sound.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright! Here's chapter 5! Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! You guys keep me going! Enjoy this new chapter!**

**Disclaimer: The adolescent transformed stealthy terrapins do not belong to me. Sigh…**

Chapter 5: A Little Closer than Before

It had been a week. A whole entire week; Mikey knew this because he had heard one of the guards talking with another one about how they hadn't expected him to survive a week, then placed a few bills into the others hand. They were betting on how long Mikey was gonna live. Michelangelo smiled a little. He was gonna last a whole lot longer just to spite them. In all honesty though, he hadn't expected to be here that long. He really thought his brothers would have been here by now. He kept up hope though. He knew they wouldn't rest until they found him.

Mikey knew he needed to get outta there fast. His body couldn't take much more abuse. Karai alternated between the shock treatment, the juice of doom, and beatings. And as crazy as this sounds; Mike would much rather take the beatings. They would drag him into some other room and wrap chains around his wrists, looping the chain around a hook then pulling his arms painfully above his head. They'd kick and punch every part of him, laughing at his grunts of pain. His ribs were broken, making it hard to breathe. His right leg was broken too. A few too many hits in the same spot right under his knee and his bone had just snapped. His left wrist was broken as well; it was always pulled slightly higher and at this awkward angle. It had broken only after the second time he was brought to the beating room.

Now he was lying in his cage, trying to sit up. It was hard, and he only managed to lean slightly up against the wall. It made breather a bit easier to be up right. It had been a few hours, or so he thought, since he had been shocked so he knew it was only a matter of time before he was dragged back to the medical room to be injected with more of the juice of doom. That was Karai's favorite, because it was the only thing Mikey couldn't be quiet about. The toxin was just too painful, lighting every nerve on fire each time. He looked down at his left arm, wincing as he looked at all the inflamed injection marks.

"C'mon bros…I dunno how much longer I can do this…" Mikey whispered. He needed to get a hold of his brothers somehow, to let them know where he was. When he had first come here, he felt the tendrils of someone reaching his mind, but it had been right in the middle of his first round with the juice of doom and he couldn't grab onto it, could only scream. Maybe he could try and meditate, he had tried a few days ago but he had succumbed to unconsciousness before he could reach anyone.

"You can do it Mikey…" He told himself. He sat up a bit straighter and dragged his broken leg closer to his body, clamping his lips shut so as not to scream. He took a deep, shaky breath and cleared his mind, focusing on his family. He felt his body slowly go numb, the dark and dampness of his cage slowly disappearing. He focused his energy on finding his brothers, concentrating on the lair. He felt a few energies and he had to quell his excitement to keep his focus. He pushed his energy out further and found a rather bright energy, glowing red as if calling out to him and he surged right to it.

OoOoOoO

Raph was at his punching bag, completely focused on tearing it to pieces. Each punch and each kick was sent with a seemingly unending rage. It had been a friggin' week since Mikey had been gone and they weren't any closer to finding him. Well, maybe they were a bit closer. Donnie had found some kind of plant on Mike's shell cell yesterday that apparently only grew near water and more specifically under bridges making him think that Mikey was somewhere near Brooklyn Bridge. They had scoured the area earlier today but didn't find much. Donatello was much more optimistic and though and was currently in his lab testing over a dozen pieces of junk to see if Mike's DNA was on any of them. Leo was talking with Master Splinter, April and Casey had a delivery to make, so that left Raph alone. The only productive thing he could do was kick the crap outta his punching bag in order to dispel the furious rage he felt. He hated being helpless. Sweat was dripping from his brow as he continued to throw punches and roundhouse kicks at his well-used bag.

"_Raph…"_

Raphael looked up to see who had called his name, but he found no one. The dojo was completely empty. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Great, now he was hearing things. He continued to beat his punching bag.

"_Raph…"_

He whipped his head around, his heart picking up. He knew that voice. He knew that voice better than anyone else in this world.

"M-Mikey…?" Raph said aloud.

"_Raph…h-help…"_ Mikey's voice said again.

"HOLY CRAP!" Raph yelled, almost jumping for joy. Mikey was talking to him! Mikey was alive!

"LEO! DONNIE! MASTER SPLINTER!" Raph screamed. Raphael immediately slammed himself into a meditation position. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he heard footsteps pounding towards him.

"Mikey! Oh my God, Mike! It's me! It's Raph!" Raphael said inside his head.

"_Th-Thank God…Raph…p-please…I need help…"_

His little brother sounded so tired! He couldn't believe how hoarse and exhausted he sounded. His heart clenched at the pathetic sound of his little brother's voice.

"Mikey, where are ya? Who has ya?" Raph asked.

"Raph! What is it?" Donnie asked. Raph completely ignored his brothers; his entire focus was on Michelangelo.

"_K-Karai…dunno where…I am…"_ Mike answered.

"Karai?! What the hell?!"

"_There's a basement…and a hospital room…I'm…in the…basement…"_

"Mikey, I need you to tell me everything about where you are!"

"_Can't…hold on…getting hard…to focus…"_

"Mike! I need ya to tell me where yer at! What can you see? What can you hear?" Raph insisted.

"_Basement…I can hear water…dripping everywhere…"_

"Mikey…we're coming, I promise we're coming! We're gonna get ya soon. Just hang in there!"

"_P-Please…hurry…it hurts so…much…"_

"We will little brother, I promise." Raph whispered hoarsely.

"_Raphie…"_

And that was all. The connection was lost.

"DAMN IT!" Raph screamed as his eyes shot open and he slammed his fist into the ground.

"Raphael! What is it?" Master Splinter demanded.

Raph was panting for breath, trying to keep it together. "It-it was Mikey!"

"WHAT?!" Three voices asked at the same time.

"He's being…_tortured_…" Raph replied miserably. It didn't take a genius to know that Mike was in extreme pain. His voice was hoarse, pained.

Don sank to his knees and groaned. Master Splinter laid a hand on Raph's shoulder while Leo's mouth formed into a firm line.

"Did Michelangelo say where he was?" Master Splinter asked.

"He wasn't sure…he said he could see water dripping and that there was a medical lab and a basement." Raph replied hurriedly.

"A basement?" Leo asked.

"Y-Yeah, he said he was in a basement."

"Who has him?" Don asked.

Raph's eyes darkened. "Karai."

"Karai?! Karai did this?!" Leo cried.

"That's what Mikey said. He said it was Karai." Raph replied.

"W-Why…why would she do this?" Leo asked softly.

"I dunno, but the bitch is gonna die." Raph said darkly.

"Raphael." Master Splinter chastised. He never approved of Raphael's language.

"Sorry Sensei."

"I-I just can't b-believe this…" Leo replied. His and Karai's relationship had always been weird. They weren't allies exactly, but they had always understood one another. They had understood the meaning and importance of honor. This…this _atrocity_ she has committed has absolutely _no_ honor associated with it. Why would Karai do this? What had happened that she would compromise everything she had told him she believed in?

"My son, do not focus on why this has been done to our family. Instead, focus on Michelangelo and a way to bring him back to us." Master Splinter told his oldest son, seeing the turmoil on his face.

Leo blinked and then looked at his father, bowing his head. "Hai Sensei."

"What else did Mikey say?" Donatello asked.

"Uh…just that he was in some kinda basement and that there was medical lab or somethin'. Oh yeah, and that there was water everywhere." Raph replied.

"And there's water everywhere? That means…" Leo trailed off.

"He's more than likely near the Brooklyn Bridge like we thought!" Donatello replied with a bit of enthusiasm.

"What did we miss though? We looked everywhere!" Raph replied.

Donatello's brow furrowed for a moment. What had they missed? Where hadn't they looked? There has to be something that they overlooked.

And that's when it hit him.

"We didn't look _under_ the bridge."

"Under the bridge?" Leo asked confused.

"They could easily be keeping some sort of secret hideout under the bridge. We have a sewer pipe leading towards the lair. Why couldn't they have done something similar?" Don reasoned.

"Let's go." Raph said, getting to his feet and walking towards the exit.

"Raph wait!" Leo said.

"Wait? Why wait?" Raph asked.

"Because we need a plan!" Leo replied.

"A plan? Ya wanna plan Fearless? How bout' this? We go in, kill every bastard in the joint, rescue our baby brother, and bring him home. There. We gotta plan."

"It won't be that easy Raph and you know it."

"Neva said easy was parta the deal."

"If we go in there half-cocked we could cause more harm than good!" Leo insisted, going to stand in front of Raphael.

"I'm gettin' our little brother back." Raph growled.

"We all want to, but we need to scope the place out, see where our entrances and exits are and make sure we can get Mikey out safely." Leo said impatiently. He understood Raph's bloodlust, truly he did. He had the same feelings. But he also knew that in order to get Mikey out safely, they needed a solid plan.

"Get outta my way Leo." Raph said dangerously.

Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you endanger him like this."

"What the hell did ya just say to me?" Raphael asked, venom in his voice.

Master Splinter had had enough.

"That is enough my sons." He told them, walking in between and separating his two eldest sons.

Raph was panting heavily, Leo was too.

"We are all worried about Michelangelo. We do need a plan, but we will not waste time. I shall call Ms. O'Neil and Mr. Jones and alert them of what has happened. We will take the van and conduct our search for entrances and exits there. Is that possible Donatello?"

"Yes Sensei, I can hook up my laptop as well as send in a hidden camera." Don replied.

"Good. Once we have secured the perimeter you will enter stealthily and without alarming anyone, like the true ninja I have trained you all to be. We will bring Michelangelo back home safely. Raphael, you need to be focused and in control of your emotions. Leonardo, you need to lead your brothers carefully into battle, leaving no room for error. This is perhaps the most important mission you have ever encountered. We cannot afford any mistakes." Master Splinter said.

His three sons bowed their heads. "Hai Sensei."

Master Splinter smiled somewhat. "Now, my sons, let us get back what is ours."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Alright, here's chapter 6! I can't believe how quickly I'm updating this story, but y'alls reviews have just given me such motivation that I can't stop writing! This chapter is the longest one so far because I just couldn't stop writing! I don't think any of the other ones will be this long though. Thanks to all the reviewers and followers and favoriters! I appreciate all the encouragement!**

**Disclaimer: Uh…yeah, still don't own em. Guess **_**some**_** people don't know the meaning of the word 'share.' **

Chapter 6: People Shouldn't Touch Things that don't Belong to Them.

Leonardo was sharpening his Katana's in his room while everyone else was getting ready to leave. The sound of metal sharpening metal was quite soothing to him. He had incense burning in his room as he tried to mentally and physically prepare himself for what was sure to be a fierce battle. When Raphael had told them all that he had gotten in contact with Mikey he thought he was going to collapse right then and there. He had so far remained strong for his other two little brothers, trying to be a source of comfort and resilience to them. He had to be strong for them. He had to show them that he knew everything was going to be okay, even though he had no idea if that were true or not. His whole body was at a constant state of alertness. Every sound, every smell, and every shadow had him looking up in fear that someone was invading his home; trying to take another one of his brothers. He knew he was being paranoid, but he just couldn't help it. The past week had been rather difficult. Actually, it had been more like pure and unadulterated hell.

The lair was quiet. Way too quiet. Laughter didn't fill the halls, mock screams for mercy could not be heard, the pings and pangs of video games where non-existent, excited chatter no longer drifted from the lab. His family was missing a vital part. Leonardo thought of every time he had ignored Mikey, or begged him to leave him alone, or pushed him out of his room when he got too annoying and he wanted to take it all back. He would do _anything_ to hear Mikey talk about his comic books, or show him his latest painting, or explain some wacked out theory of his. If…no _when_, they get Mikey back he is going to be a better leader…a better big brother.

A knock sounded on his door and he looked up to see Donatello peeking in. "Time to go Leo."

Leo took a deep breath and released it slowly. He put out the incense and slowly sheathed his razor sharp blades into their place on his shell. He stood and followed Don out to the garage. Everyone else was in the van and Don was about to enter when Leo put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Donnie…this is probably one of the most dangerous things we're ever gonna do, possibly more dangerous than the fight with Shredder."

"I know Leo."

"I just want you to know…that…well, I'm sorry." Leo said quietly.

Donatello looked confused. "Sorry for what?"

"For allowing this to happen; for putting our whole family in danger and for not protecting Mikey, this whole thing was my fault."

Don's eyes narrowed as he looked at his big brother. "That has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say."

Leo was taken aback at the harshness of his brother's words. "Don…I—"

Donatello put a hand up, stopping whatever it was Leo was gonna say. "No, you listen to me Leo. This is _not_ your fault. This is not Raph's fault. This is not my fault. You wanna know whose fault it is; Karai's and the Foot's. This is _their_ doing not ours. No amount of training or stealth or perceptiveness could've kept this from happening. You want to blame someone? Blame them."

Leo shook his head. "No, Don, if I had just told Mikey no then none of this would've happened."

Donatello scoffed. "Yeah right. He would've snuck out and gone anyways and you know it. He had been waiting for that zombie prom thing for two months. Master Splinter even said he didn't mind if he went. You couldn't have stopped him."

"Mike isn't the rebellious one, that's Raph's job." Leo said.

"Rebellious or not, nothing was going to keep him from that party. Trust me. All of us can be pretty stubborn when we want to be." Donatello said with a slight smile on his face.

Leo couldn't help but grin back at him. "Ain't that the truth?"

Don's expression grew serious as he put his hands on Leonardo's shoulders. "This really and truly isn't your fault. Karai and the Foot are just bad people who want to destroy our family because of a grudge. They used cowardly tactics and dishonorable actions in order to capture one of us and now they're gonna pay. And you, big brother, are gonna lead us like you always do. And we're going to come out stronger than we were, just like we always do."

Leonardo smiled at his purple banded brother. "Okay Donnie, okay."

Don brightened and patted Leonardo's shoulder. "Good. Now, let's go get our baby brother."

They piled into the van and set off towards Brooklyn Bridge. It wasn't too long of a drive and the brother's were thankful for that. They wanted to get there as fast as they could so they could start looking for a possible secret hideout. It all sounded as ridiculous as one of Mikey's comic books, but the truth of the matter was that the Foot could possibly have an underground bunker beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. And they were going to leave no stone unturned in their search for Michelangelo. April and Casey were going to man the van with Master Splinter while Don, Raph, and Leo got Mikey out. Casey wanted to go with them of course, eager to bash some heads in, but he was the one with the lead foot and when they got Mikey safely in the van they needed to get the hell out of dodge. Plus, he needed to keep an eye out on the van in case anyone saw them and tried to do something about them.

"Alright, we're gonna send the droid in first. It's waterproof and compact so it can go undetected. If they are hiding somewhere under this bridge, this will show us where." Donatello said, a slight proud tone to his voice.

"Alright Genius. Let's see what ya got." Raph said as Donatello set the tiny bug looking machine into the water. They ran back into the van and Donnie got his laptop out and soon the screen was filled with the bug's view of the water. Don typed away at his keyboard and the bug started to move.

Six faces crammed together to try and get a good look at the screen. Unfortunately there wasn't much to see; just a lot of green water and trash.

"Jeez, ya'd think they'd clean the place up a bit." Raph said. The water certainly was filthy, tons of random pieces of trash and useless junk floated in the middle and along the bottom of the river.

"You sure this thing will be able to see clearly Don?" Leonardo asked.

"Positive. We have a crystal clear picture so far." Donatello said determinedly.

The little bug swam around a rather large concrete column before making its way to the other one right across from the first. There were four other columns that Donatello decided to check out.

"Damnit, there's nothing here." Raph said, slamming his fist down on the dashboard.

"Raphael, calm yourself. We have yet to look everywhere. Be patient my son." Master Splinter told his second oldest.

Donatello steered the bug to the third column.

"Look!" April shouted.

"What?" Casey demanded.

"Right there in the corner! There's like…a door or something!" April cried.

Donatello zoomed his camera in and sure enough, there was a door.

"Let's go." Raph said.

"Wait, we need to find a way in first!" Leo replied.

Raph sighed but sat back down. Donnie was clicking away at his laptop and soon little torpedo looking things flew out of the bug.

"What are those things?" Casey asked.

"Infrared cameras. Powerful ones at that. I created them to be able to detect heat sources at least through walls that are 20 feet thick." Don replied.

"How'd you do that Donnie?" April asked.

"I've been working on them for over a month now. I just had to recalibrate the g-wires in the—"

"Donnie, we'd all love to hear about the wonder that is yer giant brain, howeva, let's do it later alright?" Raph interrupted.

Donatello blushed slightly. "Uh…yeah. Well, it seems as if there are guards near the entrance. Two on each side. We're going to need a distraction, something to get them to check on the outside so we can get in."

"How are we going to do that?" April asked.

"Leave that to me my sons." Master Splinter replied.

"Sensei, we've got this." Leonardo said.

"I may be older, but I may still be of use to you."

Leo's eyes went wide. "Master Splinter, I didn't mean it like that."

Splinter smiled softly at his son. "I know. But, Leonardo, you need to give me some credit. I have taught you three all you know."

Leo, Don, and Raph couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"So what's the plan then?" Casey asked.

"Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello will hide on either side of the column. You and Ms. O'Neil will stay here and alert us if our presence is detected. I will create a distraction near the surface of the water." Master Splinter answered.

"What are ya plannin'?" Raph asked.

Master Splinter smirked slightly. "I believe I will use one of Donatello's exploding devices."

Donnie's eyes went wide. "Uh…S-Sensei…a-are you sure?"

"Yes my son. I have seen you use them enough, I am fairly certain I can handle it." He replied.

The three turtles gathered their things and walked out of the van after bidding Casey and April goodbye. Once the family was outside, Splinter gathered his three sons around him.

"Be careful my sons." He said softly.

Leonardo and Donatello immediately wrapped their arms around each other and Master Splinter. Raphael was looking warily at the three of them; not really one for sappy moments.

"C'mon Raph." Donatello said.

"Eh, that's alright Donnie. I'm fine here. The three of ya continue on."

Leo growled and rolled his eyes before reaching a hand out and grabbing Raphael's wrist, pulling him into the group hug. Raph squawked indignantly and the other three chuckled. Raph sighed and put his arms around his brothers, his fingers brushing into Splinter's fur.

"Bring me back Michelangelo…I have missed him so." Master Splinter said.

"Hai Sensei." The three sons replied.

"I love you, my sons." Master Splinter said, stepping away from the group hug and looking at each of his sons.

Donatello hugged him, whispering that he too love him. Leonardo was next, wrapping strong arms around Splinter's frame, returning his love. Raphael was last, and although chick flick moments weren't really his thing, he too walked up to Master Splinter and hugged him tightly.

"Love ya too father." Raphael whispered. Splinter squeezed him back, relishing in the affection that Raphael so rarely showed.

Master Splinter urged his sons to submerge; the three turtles looked back at their father once more before finally disappearing into the murky water.

And that's when the old rat got to work.

OoOoOoO

"It has been a week Michelangelo…surely you are ready to give up." Karai stated.

Mike was once again strapped to the damn table. He couldn't fight back anymore; he just allowed them to drag him from his cage to the table without an ounce of a struggle. His legs were broken, his ribs were broken, and his wrist was broken; he was running out of limbs.

"I guess…you don't know…me very well…" Mikey panted. He tried to glare at Karai, but his eyes were heavy lidded, barely slits.

"Oh I know you Michelangelo. I know that you are defiant, wild, and the apple of your brother's eyes."

Mikey growled low in his throat.

Karai laughed. "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Do you not like it when I talk about your brothers?"

Mike didn't dignify that with an answer.

"I do hope you are correct in your thinking. I hope they come here. It will save me so much time. Do you know what I will do to them if they come here?"

Mikey glared harder.

"First, I'll bring them in here so they can see you. I'll allow shock and rage to enter their minds before I inject them with the same toxin I injected you with. I will make sure that you watch their suffering, that you hear their screams of pain. I will tell them that you told me everything. That you were the one that caused them this agony. I will force you to watch as I kill them, one by one. And they will die thinking that it was you that betrayed them." Karai said.

Mike was shaking with anger. Karai's face moved closer to his and he jumped at her, getting nowhere and causing him more pain in the process, but it didn't matter; she had jumped back, startled. Mike struggled in his bonds, wanting to smack that smug look off her face.

"Picture that turtle, while you writhe in agony." Karai whispered. Mike continued to struggle and snarl at her as the man in the white coat injected yet another syringe full of the juice of doom.

OoOoOoO

Master Splinter had been brilliant! He lit off a small explosive as well as fireworks into the air. It created such a loud noise that the four guards that were inside the column quickly swam out. The three turtles took the opportunity to swim in. The first room was filled with water, but a button on the wall quickly depleted it, leaving the room and its occupants completely dry. The moment the water was drained another door opened, leading to a long hallway. Raph and Donnie pressed themselves against the wall as Leo rolled behind a wooden box. The coast was clear. Leo waved his hand and Don and Raph were soon by his side.

"We need to find where Mikey is." Leo said.

"He said he was in some kinda basement." Raph told him.

"Then let's find the stairs or an elevator."

Donnie nodded and followed his two older brothers. They were halfway down the hall when they heard the door they had just came in from opening. The three brothers immediately pressed themselves against the wall, concealing themselves in the shadows. The guards were grumbling about stupid kids and Leo pointed to Raph and nodded once. Raph nodded back.

The guards had no idea what hit them. Literally. Raphael and Leonardo stealthily made their way to where the guards were drying off. Raph took two and Leo took two. Raph struck first; his Sai's easily slicing across his first victim's throat, the Foot ninja couldn't even make a sound. Before his buddies could catch on Raph quickly disposed of the next one with a snap of his neck. Leo stuck a blade through each of his Foot's hearts, quickly disposing of them as he pulled his Katana's out of their bodies. Donatello was keeping watch and soon the brother's made it back to him. The first threat of exposure was now disposed of and the brother's continued their way down the hall.

They came upon a crossroads of sorts, to which they could either go left or right. Before they could make a decision a blood curdling scream pierced the air. The three turtles froze in absolute horror. The scream was one of pain, of absolute torment and agony. It seemed to plead for relief, for some kind of end to whatever was happening to the one who let out that gut wrenching sound.

And they knew who that voice belonged to.

"Mikey…" Donatello croaked.

The plan didn't matter anymore. Stealth didn't matter anymore. Safety didn't matter anymore. The only thing that did matter was getting their brother back. And killing every single person who had a hand in forcing that scream from their little brother's throat.

Raph couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was the most awful sound he had ever heard in his life. White hot rage boiled inside of him and he could no longer see anything but red. Pure, unadulterated hatred poured through his veins. He gripped his Sai's tightly in his hands and ran towards his brother's screams.

Leo was on the exact same page as Raphael for once in his life. He, too, felt that boiling rage, that bloodlust, that need for vengeance. And _nothing_ was going to keep him from getting to his baby brother. He ran after Raph.

Donatello could think of only one thing; help Mikey. He wanted to fight, to hurt, to maim, to _destroy_ those who had hurt his little brother. But he knew that he needed to get to Mikey first, and stop whatever it was that was making him scream like that. Without a moment's hesitation, he flew after his brothers.

The Foot were no match for the blood thirsty turtles. One by one they fell to the ground, never again to walk or breathe. Leonardo could feel the blood dripping from his plastron to the floor, none of it was his. Raphael plunged his Sai's into countless throats and chests; twisting and pulling upwards to ensure they wouldn't move again. Donatello was working as the buffer, using his Bo to push enemies towards his older brother's. The closer they got to the end of the hall, the louder the terrible screams became. Finally there was a door that led to a stair well. The brother's didn't bother with using the stairs, instead, they jumped from the railing, flipping and landing on the iron railings until they reached the bottom; the screams almost deafening. Raph reared his leg back and kicked the door open.

OoOoOoO

He felt weak and ashamed for continuing to scream. You'd think he'd be used to it by now, but he wasn't. Nothing could prepare him for the absolute _anguish _he was in each time they injected him. Karai just sat there and smirked the entire time, mocking his pain. Another white hot flash made its way and he screamed again, wanting to beg and plead and cry for his release. He just wanted to go _home_.

"What?!" Karai suddenly shouted.

And then all hell broke loose.

There were cries of pain, screams of terror and outrage, blood splattering the walls. It was so chaotic and Mikey was still in pain that he couldn't really focus on what was going on. He could only continue to writhe in agony.

Raphael and Leonardo saw their little brother strapped to a medical table; saw Karai laughing as Michelangelo's back arched off the table, his entire frame shaking. They were immediately bombarded by Foot ninja and each thrust and cut and slice delivered to their enemy was satisfying. Karai joined the fray seconds later. Donatello needed to get to Mikey, needed to find what was happening to him, but there were too many of them and he had to fight. He delivered a well-placed blow to the head of a Foot before spinning and knocking the rest of the circle of enemies unconscious. The room was quickly emptying of Foot ninja and soon it was only the three of them, a man in a white coat that was cowering in a corner, and Karai.

Raph snarled as Karai took on both him and Leonardo. She was a formidable force and kept them on their toes. The man in the white coat made a break for it and Donnie tripped him up before forcing the end of his Bo against his throat. Donatello looked at the man and knew he had had a direct hand in the torture of his little brother. His eyes glazed over as he glared at the man, pushing his Bo harder and harder against the man's throat. The man was writhing, trying to push the staff off of his throat, but it was no use. Donatello lifted his Bo high into the air before crashing it down against the man; he flailed no more, he moved no more, he breathed no more. Donnie was panting for breath, the rage still rippling through him as he stared at the dead man beneath him. He was mesmerized by his own violence, until another scream erupted from Michelangelo's throat.

Donatello ran to the bed right as Mike's back arched off the table again. Don put his hands on Mike's chest and tried to push him back down. "Mikey! Mikey it's okay, I'm here! We're here!"

Mike didn't answer, just continued to scream. Don looked over and just in time to see Raph tackle Karai to the ground as Leo jumped into the air and slamming his Katana's on either side of Karai's face, close enough that each one nicked her cheeks. Michelangelo was slowly calming down now, his screaming dying down and his body completely slumping. His breathing was slow and ragged.

Donatello could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he stroked Michelangelo's head, trying to soothe his little brother.

"Donnie…" Mikey breathed.

"Mike? Oh Mikey! Yeah, yeah it's me, it's Donnie!" Donatello said and he couldn't contain the tears then. He let them fall down his face; he made no notion of his crying, made no sniffle, no sound. Just allowed the tears to leave hot trails down his face as he unstrapped Mike from the table.

"Knew you'd…make it…" Mikey replied with a slight smile on his face.

Don choked out a laugh. "We'd never leave you Mikey. I'm sorry it took so long."

"Do it then! Do it Leonardo!" Karai's hysterical voice said. Don turned and saw Leonardo with his Katana's in the air, ready to plunge them deep into Karai's heart. Karai had tears pouring down her face.

"This is for Michelangelo." Leonardo snarled.

"L-Leo…don't…" Mike's hoarse voice called.

Leo's head snapped up as he looked at his little brother. His resolve cracked as he saw the brokenness that was Mikey. His body was battered and bruised. He was skinny, so very skinny. He had always been slimmer than the rest of them, but this went beyond slim and border on emaciated.

"Mikey…" Leo said.

"Sh-She's…not worth it…she just…misses…her dad…" Mikey answered.

"Mike, don't ya understand what she's done? She's a monster!" Raph told him.

"Let's just…go…I just wanna…go home…" Mike responded.

"Mikey, I can't let her get away with this." Leonardo insisted.

"Please…I just wanna go home…please…" Mikey begged, sounding more and more helpless and pained.

"Just kill me Leonardo…please…" Karai said, the tears still pouring down her face. Leo looked down at her. Feeling hatred, rage, anger, but…also pity. She was empty. Void of honor or life or happiness. He pitied her. So instead of delivering the well-deserved death he so desired, he hit her in the head with the butt of his sword; knocking her unconscious. Raphael and Leonardo ran to their little brother's, relief washing over them as they looked at Michelangelo alive.

"Mikey. Oh man, it is so good to see ya." Raph told him.

"M'glad to see…you guys too…" Mikey panted.

"C'mon little brother, let's get you home."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Alrighty people here's chapter 7! Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews! They keep my creative juices a flowin'! This is more Mikey centric and the next chapter will be much the same as this one (in regards to the centricness of the fic). I think there's only one more chapter after this one, but idk, I may be able to stretch it a bit! Lemme know what ya think! Please continue to review since I am addicted to them. It's a serious problem. I should start a support group or something. **

**Disclaimer: They're still not mine. I looked it up. Google says they belong to Nickelodeon now. And Google is never wrong. **

Chapter 7: On the Mend

Donatello was quietly working in his lab, not wanting to disturb his patient. Michelangelo had been asleep for almost two days straight now. Every once in awhile Mikey would start struggling and whimpering in his sleep; Don would whisper soothing words, assuring Mikey that he was here, that he was home and not in some cage or strapped to a table, until the younger turtle would calm back down. The nightmares won't just go away though; Donnie knew that Mikey was going to be riddled with nightmares for the next few weeks, possibly months. Shoot, the first day he was back home had been a nightmare in and of itself.

The moment they got Mikey in the van they sped off towards the lair. Mikey was in real bad shape; he had passed out the moment they picked him up from the table. Donatello felt like it was a good thing, the less amount of pain Mike was in the better. Master Splinter said nothing as he just stroked his youngest sons head over and over. Once they arrived home Mike was put in the lab and Donatello got to work. Leo, Raph, Casey, April, and Master Splinter stayed in the lab; offering to grab things and help in any way possible. Mike had a broken wrist, a broken leg, 6 broken ribs, numerous burn marks and bruises up and down his body, he was malnourished and dehydrated since he probably hadn't been given anything to eat, and he was sick. He had caught some kind of flu bug from the disgusting, wet, cold floor that he was forced to lie in for a week. Don set Mike's wrist and put it in a cast, he cast his broken leg, wrapped his broken ribs, set up an IV to give antibiotics and nourishment, and cleaned out all open scrapes and scratches. It was while he was working on Mikey's right arm that he noticed the injection marks. The little needle holes were infected and littered Mikey's arm. Raph punched the wall so hard his knuckles broke open; causing Master Splinter to scold his hot tempered son and Donnie to have to wrap his hand as well as keep an eye on Mikey.

The injections terrified Donnie. He had no idea what it was they had injected his little brother with. Don was hoping the fluids that were now going through Mike's veins would help to clean out whatever toxin was in his body. He could only imagine what Karai and the Foot had put him through.

"How's he doin'?"

Donatello broke from his musings, looked up and saw his older brother Raphael leaning against the door frame.

"His vitals are getting stronger. The good thing is that he's able to breathe on his own. I think he'll be waking up soon." Don replied.

"S'good." Raph grunted.

"Yeah, yeah it is. He needed the sleep though. His body's exhausted."

"He's tough. He'll get through this." Raph replied.

Don nodded. "How is your hand?"

"Fine."

Donatello narrowed his eyes somewhat. "That was kinda stupid you know."

Raph scowled. "Yer face is kinda stupid ya know."

Don laughed and the sides of Raphael's lips quirked up somewhat. Their heads whipped towards Mikey though when they heard a moan escaped his lips.

"Go get Leo and Master Splinter. He's waking up." Donatello instructed. Raph nodded and left the lab immediately, returning a moment later with Leo and Splinter.

Mikey was moving his head slowly back and forth, as if trying to clear it.

"Michelangelo." Master Splinter called softly, trying to draw his son into consciousness.

"Hey! His eyes are opening!" Leo exclaimed.

OoOoOoO

_Ugh…my head…_Michelangelo thought. _This is all way to familiar…_

"Michelangelo." Mikey heard someone say.

_S-Sensei…but…that can't be, I'm with Karai and the Foot…does that mean…no…NO!_

Mike started whimpering, his eyes clenched tightly shut as he struggled on the medical bed.

"Easy Mikey, easy. It's us, you're home." Donatello whispered in Mike's ear, soothingly rubbing his hand over Mike's head.

_Is that Donnie? _

"C'mon Mikey, we need ya to open yer eyes." Raph said.

_Raph?_

"Fight it Mikey, I know you can beat this." Leonardo said.

_Leo? But…if everyone's here that must mean…I'm home…I'm home…I'M HOME!_

And with that Mike stared blearily at his family.

Sighs of relief and choked out laughter resounded in the lab. Soon, three fingered hands were reaching out and trying to touch some part of Mikey, to assure themselves that he was really and truly alive.

"Hey Mikey, welcome back." Leonardo said, beaming down at his brother.

"We missed ya little brother." Raph said fondly, rubbing Mikey's head softly.

"D-Dudes…" Mikey breathed.

Donatello chuckled. "Figures that'd be his first spoken word."

The family chuckled and Mikey grinned tiredly at his brother's and father. That grin was a welcomed sight to the boys and their teacher. Master Splinter felt his own face break into a grin as he looked at his youngest smile. It had been far too long since he had seen it.

"It is good to see you awake Michelangelo." Splinter told Mike.

Mike turned his head and offered another tired smile. Splinter stroked Michelangelo's face and patted his cheek lightly. Mike sighed and closed his eyes, relishing in the loving touch and allowing it to assure him that he was here, that he was home.

"How are you feeling my son?"

Mike swallowed. "I'm kinda thirsty."

Donatello disappeared for all of two seconds before making his way back to Mikey, holding a glass of water. Mike reached his arm up to take the glass but felt a tug on his arm that prevented him from moving. Confused, he looked down at his arm and then his body began to seize.

"Mikey!" Donnie shouted, shoving the glass into Raph's hand as he went to restrain his writhing brother.

"Damnit Donnie, what the hell's goin' on?" Raph demanded as he watched Mike convulse.

"He's seizing!" Don shouted.

Master Splinter's eyes were wide and he tried to sense what it was that had his youngest in such turmoil. Michelangelo's eyes were pinned on something near his arm and Splinter followed his sons gaze until it landed on the culprit.

The IV needle.

Master Splinter reached over and wrenched the offending object out of his son. Michelangelo immediately sank back onto the bed, chest heaving for air.

"It was the needle…" Donatello whispered.

"The needle? Why woulda needle freak him out like that?! I mean, Mikey's neva really liked em, but he's neva reacted like that before!" Raph cried.

"I think Mikey may have been…uh…injected with something while he was captured." Don replied.

"What?" Leo asked, his voice a shocked whisper.

"He's got injection marks all over his arm, and now with his reaction to the needle I'm a hundred percent sure of it." Don answered.

"Stop talking…like m'not…here…" Mikey panted, and then went into a coughing fit. Leo rubbed his plastron through it.

"You okay?" Leo asked.

"Just…scared me…is all…" Mike replied.

"Well, no more needles then. How are you feeling?" Don asked, grabbing a clip board and walking around Mikey, checking his vitals. Raph lifted the glass of water to Mikey's lips, tilting the glass so that his little brother could drink.

"M'fine." Mikey replied.

Don scoffed. "Yeah sure, you're fine. Wanna go through your injury list? Broken leg, broken wrist, 6 broken ribs bruises and burn marks all over your body, and oh yeah you have the flu as well. You're going to be in that leg cast for at least 6 weeks, they practically shattered your shin. Your wrist will need to be wrapped for the next 2 weeks. Your ribs are on the mend already and will probably be fine in about a week. I'm worried about the sickness though, you're still weak and it's not gonna make your recovery period any easier. Now, don't tell me that you're _fine_."

Mike was too tired to argue. He knew he needed to be truthful. He coughed a few times before sniffling. "Ugh…fine…I feel like I got hit by a truck after falling twenty stories, only to have that truck back up over me and then lit me on fire, only to be ran over _again_ and then injected with juice of doom."

Don couldn't help but laugh at the over exaggerated explanation. However, it probably was close to what he was truly feeling.

"Juice of doom?" Raph asked.

Mike looked embarrassed, as if he let some big secret slip. He pressed his lips together in a firm line. The action was not lost on his big brother's.

"What exactly happened Mikey?" Leonardo asked.

Mike's heart started to race as images flashed in his head. His body tingled as he thought about the toxin that was released into his veins. He felt on edge all of a sudden, his throat tightening making it harder to breathe. He gripped the sheets in his hand, holding them so tightly his knuckles started to turn a paler shade of green.

"Calm yourself Michelangelo." His father told him, placing a hand over Mike's heart. Mike's frantic eyes bored into Splinter's and his father returned his gaze, a calm and assured look in his chocolate brown eyes. Mike's grip on the sheets slowly loosened, his heart rate slowing.

"You ain't gotta talk about it just now Mikey." Raphael told him.

"I—I'm just tired…" Mike lied.

"It's okay Mikey." Leo assured his little brother.

"Donatello do you need anything else from Michelangelo?" Master Splinter asked.

"Well, I wanted to draw some blood…" Don began. Mike started gripping the sheets tightly in his hands again. "But I don't have to. It's fine. I think I'm good."

Mike visibly relaxed again.

"Good. Then let us allow Michelangelo to rest." The old rat said. He leaned down and gently wrapped his arms around him. Mikey returned the hug. "Rest my son."

"Hai Sensei." Mikey replied with a smile. Donnie and Leo patted Mikey's head and promised to come back later with some solid food and comic books. Raph was the last to leave. He was leaning against a counter across from Mike's bed.

"Ya betta get to sleep soon Mike. Ya look like hell." Raph told him.

Mike smiled softly. "Bet I still look better than you."

Raphael chuckled. "Watch yer mouth Mikey, bed ridden or not, I'll still kick yer ass."

"Aw, c'mon Raph, you wouldn't kick a turtle while he's down would you?"

Raph didn't answer, just walked closer while musing that no, he wouldn't hurt his baby brother, that he couldn't even do anything resembling violence to him.

"Go to sleep Mikey. I'll see ya lata." Raphael said as he made his way out the door. He turned out the light and was about to close the door when Mikey called out to him.

"Hey Raph?"

"Yeah?"

Mike paused for a moment, not sure if he could continue or not. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "That was its nickname."

Raph furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"

"The 'juice of doom.' It was a nickname."

Raph's heart started pounding. He could feel fear prickling through his body as he tried to prepare himself for what his little brother was about to tell him.

"Karai…uh…she had this guy give me a…well, a shot. I had been there for maybe an hour or so, woken up strapped to that table and…he stuck me with a needle. I—I don't know what it did except that it _hurt_. I felt like my whole body was on fire…from the inside. It lasted for half an hour every time, without a break. I tried not to scream, b-but it just hurt so bad." Mikey added in a whisper.

Raph could feel that rage building in him again as he listened to Mikey. He wanted to go back and kill Karai with his bare hands.

"She alternated her…techniques…in order to get me to talk."

"What did she wanna know?"

"About you guys. She wanted to know where our home was, where you guys were what, what Master Splinter was planning."

"What did ya tell her?" Raph asked.

"Not a damn thing." Mikey replied.

Pride welled up in Raphael's chest. He smirked at his little brother and couldn't help but look impressed. The Foot had obviously taken Mikey thinking that he'd be an easy break, but Mikey had proved them wrong. He had stuck it out and Raph couldn't be prouder.

"I'm proud of ya Mikey. You're a lot stronger than any of us really give you credit for." Raph told him.

Mikey smiled at him. "Thanks. I don't feel really brave."

"Mike, not alotta people coulda dealt with what ya did. They woulda died or given up after the first day. But not you. Ya gave em a run fer their money kid. Good job."

"Thanks."

There was a moment's pause before Raph probed a bit deeper.

"What else Mikey?"

Mike gulped and tried to release a shaky breath; but a coughing fit came out instead. Mike hunched over and wrapped his arm tenderly around his ribs. The coughing made the pain in his broken ribs so much worse. Raph grabbed the glass of water and waited for Mikey to finish before pressing the glass to his lips and allowing Mikey to drink.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Continue when yer ready."

Mike settled back against his pillows. "Well, she hooked me up to this electric shock thing. She placed these electrode things on me and lit me up. If it wasn't the juice or the shock treatment then…uh…"

"What Mike?" Raph asked through clenched teeth. He was torn. Part of him wanted to run out of the room with his hands over his ears so he couldn't hear anymore while the other part of him wanted to listen and then make Karai suffer the most painful and slow death he could administer.

"I was a turtle piñata at times. That was actually okay, I didn't mind that as much…"

Raph didn't know what was worse; the fact that Mikey was beaten within an inch of his life, or the fact that Mikey preferred getting the snot beat out of him rather than face the other two options.

"She wanted me to suffer…I've—I've never seen such _hatred_ in anyone's eyes before…"

"Then why did ya save her?" Raph demanded.

Mike looked up and smiled sadly. "Because the hatred wasn't directed towards me."

"Mikey! She friggin' _tortured_ ya! She shocked ya like a bug, filled ya full of who knows what, and beat the hell outta ya! How is that not hate?"

"She hates herself."

That stopped Raph short. "What?"

"The hatred in her eyes were of self-hatred. And even though she hurt me, she hurt herself more in the end. She's messed up Raph that's all, messed up and confused."

Raphael marveled at Michelangelo. In the midst of brutal torture, the younger turtle still had a heart of gold. Raph didn't know whether to laugh and say 'awe' or slap Mikey in the back of the head for being so stupid.

"Yer a betta person than I am." Raph told him.

Mike smiled. "Always said I was the good one."

Raph chuckled softly.

"I think that's enough for now." Mikey said, his eyes starting to get heavier.

"Mikey…I am so _sorry_. I woulda traded places with ya in a heartbeat. But we had no idea where ya were, I swear. We didn't mean to take so friggin' long. We were lookin' though. We were lookin' everywhere."

"Dude…it's okay. I knew you'd find me." Mike said with a soft smile.

"Nothing coulda kept us away." Raph whispered. He made his way back out when Mikey called out for him yet again.

"Raph?"

"Yeah Mike?"

"P-Please…don't leave…" Mikey whispered shamefully. He hated how weak he sounded, how weak he felt; both physically and mentally. But the thought of being alone in the dark lab, despite that it was home, terrified him. He'd been alone for so long, the thing he wanted most in the world was to be with his family.

Raphael's heart broke at the broken words that came out of Mike's mouth. The rage flashed once more as he thought of the terrible things that had happened to Mikey, but right now his main concern was making sure Mikey was comfortable and unafraid. Raphael made his way towards the infirmary bed and pulled up Donnie's computer chair. He sat right next to Mikey's head.

"Thanks." Mikey whispered, his eyes drifting close.

"I'm right here little brother. Ya ain't gotta be worried. I ain't goin' anywhere. Yer not alone."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I can't believe it, but this is my last chapter. I had a GREAT time writing this and it's all because of y'all! Everyone who read, reviewed, or favorited this story filled me with such HAPPINESS! Thank you SO MUCH! Y'all are amazing! I hope you like this chapter, I'm very proud of it and this whole story altogether. It worked out so much better than I imagined. Please review and let me know what you think. **

**Disclaimer: Even after all of this…I still don't own em. I asked my husband for them but he just called me a nerd. Sigh…**

Chapter 8: Home

Two weeks had passed and things were slowly getting back to normal. Mikey had been released from the infirmary and was able to hobble back and forth from the living room to the kitchen. He had to be helped up and down the stairs of course, but he was only allowed to do that three times a day; when he woke up, when he needed to take a nap, and then when it was time for bed. Mikey didn't complain though, he wanted to be around the action of every day. Master Splinter wasn't allowing him to participate in any training whatsoever. Mike knew he needed to take it a bit easy, but not being able to train in the slightest was very frustrating to him. Needless to say, Michelangelo was bored. He had already read every comic book he owned, caught up on all his T.V. shows, beat all of his video games, and even drew and painted about ten pictures. He was going stir crazy. But Master Splinter was not budging; neither were his brothers. He had gotten caught trying to twirl and mess around with his Nunchuck's and Leo practically had a heart attack. He was forced back onto the couch and they had placed his Nunchuck's on the very top of Donnie's bookshelf that was in the lab, knowing full well that Mikey was too short to reach it without standing on a chair, which in his current situation was a definite no go.

Jerks.

He didn't blame them too much though. He knew they were just looking out for him; didn't change the fact that he was going stir crazy though. Mikey convinced them to allow him to cook dinner tonight though so that was good He'd spent all day looking up recipes online, wanting to do something special. He finally settled on a five cheese baked ziti. He loved past, mainly because it was a lot like pizza, and he knew his brother's and father would like it too. April and Casey were coming over as well and promised to bring garlic bread, which would make the meal that much better. As he was closing Donnie's laptop, said turtle came up to him with a glass of water in one hand and white pills in the other. Mikey scowled.

"Now, now, none of that Mike." Donatello chastised.

"I hate those things."

"Why? They're making you better and they help with the pain." Don said shoving the glass and pills in his hands.

"They make my brain fuzzy." Mikey complained.

"Not any fuzzier than it already is." Donatello replied slyly.

Mike scowled harder. "You've gotten snarkier."

Don laughed. "I prefer the term wittier."

"Well I prefer not to be put in a medicated induced coma." Michelangelo retorted.

Donatello rolled his eyes, not even humoring his little brother. "C'mon, swallow all of them."

"There's a dirty joke in there somewhere, but I'm too angry to make it." Mike huffed.

Don sighed and face palmed. "I can't believe you just said that."

Mike said nothing, just put the pills in his mouth and swallowed them down quickly, a shiver making its way down his spine. He wasn't a big fan of medication, especially pain medication. Pain medication forced him to sleep, and when he slept, he had nightmares.

"Thank you." Donnie said brightly, taking the glass from Mike's hand and walking back to the kitchen.

"You're not welcome!" Mikey called after him, his only reply a low chuckle. Mikey sighed and settled back down against his pillows. He was still nursing a small remnant of the flu, it was more or less a cold now, but he was still prone to coughing fits and sniffles which is why Donnie was insistent on antibiotics. Well, that and the fact that they had no idea what kind of lasting effect the juice of doom could have an Michelangelo's body, so Don has been giving him an antibiotic cocktail since he first arrived. Only, this time he was taking them by mouth in pill form. Mikey still couldn't look at a needle without his body seizing. Don had told him it was a physiological response that Mikey may never be able to recover from. That was certainly going to make things difficult for Donatello whenever he had to stitch his baby brother up again, or get a flu shot for that matter.

Mikey was always a lightweight when it came to medication and even though it had barely been five minutes since he took the damn things, he could already feel the effects. His eyes were getting droopy and it was hard to focus. He tried his hardest to fight against the overwhelming tiredness, but soon the pills won and he felt his body drifting off to unconsciousness.

OoOoOoO

Raphael heard the banter between his two little brothers and decided to go check on em. Donnie was forcing more pills down Mikey's throat and of course the orange banded turtle was not at all happy about it. Raph chuckled to himself, making his way towards them. He passed by the dojo and decided to look in on Leo for a moment. Leo was doing a kata with Master Splinter and by the looks of it they were almost finished. Raphael walked in right as Leonardo and Splinter finished up with a roundhouse kick. They bowed to one another before looking at Raphael.

"Hey Raph." Leo called, picking up a towel and wiping the sweat from his brow and neck.

"Sup."

"Raphael, have you performed your two kata's for the day?" Master Splinter asked.

"Yup. Finished em this morning." Raph told his teacher.

Master Splinter nodded. "I think I shall go to my room and watch my stories. You boys be sure to check on Michelangelo. He's getting…restless and I do not want him attempting too much. His mind may think he is back to normal, but his body has much more healing to do."

"Hai Sensei." Raphael and Leonardo replied, bowing slightly to their father.

"Thank you. And Leonardo, please do not forget to be sure that Donatello eats with the rest of us tonight. I know that he is busy with his work, but Michelangelo has been looking forward to this for days now."

"I'll make sure of it." Leo replied. Master Splinter smiled at his two oldest sons before patting their shoulders and walking out of the room.

"I'm gonna go shower, can you keep an eye on Mikey for a bit? We'll switch when I'm done." Leo said.

"Sure." Raph replied. Leo went to shower and Raph continued on his path to Mikey. He walked in just in time to see him struggling to keep his eyes open. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head. That was Mikey for ya, always trying to stay awake for the party, even if there wasn't one. Mike's eyes opened once more very slowly, before they drifted close gain and his head lolled to the side. Donnie was walking back from the kitchen and he held up a finger to his lips to ensure Raph's silence. Raph rolled his eyes giving him a 'duh' look. Don smiled and continued his way to his lab. Raph sat down on the recliner and stared at Mikey. His little brother was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling steadily; no longer struggling and fighting for each breath. It warmed his heart to see his brother alive and well.

_Jeez, I'm gettin' soft in my old age._ He thought to himself.

Raphael played a few rounds of Angry Birds on his phone before he decided to get a quick snack. Dinner wasn't for another four hours and he didn't think he could last that long. He was in the kitchen searching through the cupboards when the first scream tore through the lair. Raphael scrambled out of the kitchen and was at Michelangelo's side in an instant. Mike's body was twisting on the couch and he was curling his fingers into the cushions.

"Mikey! Mike, wake up!" Raph urged.

Mike's back arched off the couch as another scream ripped out of his throat. Donatello was now by Raph's side, and the brothers could hear Leonardo making his way down the stairs, their father not too far behind. Unfortunately, Mikey wasn't breaking free of this nightmare as easily as he had with others.

"C'mon Mikey, fight it." Leo said.

Mike couldn't seem to hear them though; he just continued to scream as if his body were on fire. Master Splinter moved closer to his youngest and touched his head, rubbing it soothingly before leaning close to his ear and murmuring soft words in Japanese. Mike struggled a bit more before his body finally started calming down, his fists slowly unclenching and releasing the couch cushions. His breathing was still rapid but he did seem to be less distressed. Splinter continued to murmur in Michelangelo's ear until finally, Mike's eyes slowly opened.

"Th-Thanks." Mikey breathed.

Master Splinter continued rubbing Mike's head and continued his soft words in Mikey's ear. Mike closed his eyes and nodded every once in a while, saying a few things in Japanese back to his father. His breathing finally went back to normal and with a final spoken word Mikey nodded and sat up. Raphael helped his little brother sit up while Leo got him a glass of water.

"Thanks." Mikey said as he drank the water. He finished, handed Leo the glass and then sighed.

"Sorry guys." Mike whispered.

"Don't be. It's to be expected." Donatello replied.

Mike flushed red, still embarrassed at how affected he still was by the whole ordeal.

"Michelangelo, there is no need to be ashamed. You have been through a terrible time of suffering and that is not something that will just go away; there are consequences to what you have dealt with, and nightmares are a part of those consequences. It is we who are sorry that you must suffer these." Master Splinter told him. "However, I am proud of how well you have been handling everything. You are so much stronger than I could ever have imagined."

Mike smiled. "Thanks dad."

Master Splinter smiled and patted his cheek before letting his sons have a moment alone. Splinter was so very thankful that his boys were so close. Though they still fought and drove him mad at times, when it came right down to it; they loved one another very deeply. And that was all that mattered.

Once Splinter was gone, the three older turtles huddled around the younger.

"You okay?" Don asked.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you guys."

Raph smacked the back of Mikey's head.

"OW! Raph?!"

"What? When people say stupid things I gotta smack em." Raph replied with a shrug.

"You really don't have to apologize Mikey." Leo said after delivering a well-placed elbow to Raphael's ribs.

"It…it's just hard sometimes…it all seems so real…" Mikey trailed off. The three older turtles grimaced in understanding. They all had their own nightmares, had experienced such intense ones that they didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

Mikey had also told the whole family everything he had gone through while in the clutches of Karai and the Foot. At first Michelangelo had only told Raph and had made the hotheaded promise not to tell the others just yet. Raphael kept his secret, but then the first nightmare hit and Mikey's screams echoed throughout the entire lair; waking everyone up. Mike had informed the others a few days after he had opened up to Raph. It was hard for them to listen to how their little brother was tortured, but they were glad that he had opened up to them. It had made them grow closer as a family.

"Hey." Leo said, tipping Mikey's chin up and forcing the turtle to look at him. "Why don't we start cooking? April and Casey will be here soon anyways. They always come over early. We'll eat sooner and then spend the rest of the night doing whatever it is you want to do. How's that sound?"

Mikey's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Raph looked wary. "Ya sure ya wanna offer him somethin' like that Fearless? I mean, we could get suckered into an all-night monster move fest. With Mikey repeatin' every single stinkin' word."

Mike stuck his tongue out at Raph and looked hopefully at his eldest brother.

"I think that sounds like a great idea." Donnie added.

"Me too. So yeah, really Mikey. Anything you want." Leo smiled.

"YES!" Mikey shouted.

Raphael groaned and prepared himself for the worst, even though he was really smiling on the inside. It'd been a while since he'd seen Mikey so excited.

"C'mon Chef Boyardee." Raph said, offering Mikey a hand while Donnie grabbed Mike's crutches.

"Chef Boyardee? I'm more like Emeril." Mikey insisted.

Raph snorted. "Who told ya that?"

"The amazingness that is my food."

Raph barked a laugh while Leo and Donnie chuckled.

OoOoOoO

True to Leo's words, April and Casey arrived a few minutes after Mikey had started cooking. Mike's wrist was still in a cast so it was hard for him to maneuver around the kitchen with crutches, but he managed. Leonardo had offered to help Mike cook but Mikey had simply stated that he didn't feel like burning the kitchen down tonight and practically pushed Leo out of the kitchen. April was the only one allowed in the kitchen after Donnie and Raph had broken a jar of pasta sauce, spilling its contents on the floor. April shooed Casey out soon after that, insisting that her and Mikey had everything under control. The two worked side by side and soon the lair was filled with the delicious aroma of a very cheesy baked ziti and garlic bread.

"How ya doing Mikey?" April asked as she helped the younger turtle to a chair.

"Sore…can't seem to get over this stupid cold either. But other than that I'm just bored outta my mind." Mikey grinned.

April laughed. "Want me to bring you some more reading material?"

Mike's eyes brightened at that. "Yes! Please! The newest issue of Spiderman came out a few days ago and I'm _dying_ to read it!"

"Consider it done." April smiled.

"You are my favorite human." Mikey told her with a cheesy grin.

"I resent that." An amused voice said from the doorway. Casey was standing there with a smile on his face.

"Hate to break it to ya dude, but she's prettier than you." Mike pointed out.

Casey laughed and sat down at the table next to April. "Can't argue with ya on that one."

"Thanks for helping me out." Mikey told April.

"Oh it was my pleasure. It's good to see you up and around." She added with a smile.

"She's right. It's been way to friggin' long since we've seen ya up and around Mikey. Ya had us worried there." Casey said.

Mikey gasped in mock shock. "The great Casey Jones was worried? Please tell me someone got his worried face caught on camera. That is pure blackmail gold!"

Casey playfully and lightly punched Mikey in the shoulder. "Watch it turtle."

Mikey grinned at him then looked at the oven as the timer went off. April got the ziti out and called everyone to dinner. Dinner tasted wonderful and the kitchen was filled with the sound of laughter as Mikey told joke after joke. Some of them were rather corny, but Mikey was practically snorting with laughter as he tried to get through some of them.

"Okay, okay!" Mikey laughed. "This one is _so funny_."

Raph groaned. "I don't think I can take another one."

"Raph, you're gonna love this one!" Mikey insisted. "Alright so, an old man went to the doctor complaining of a terrible pain in his leg. 'I am afraid it's just old age', replied the doctor, 'there is nothing we can do about it.' 'That can't be' fumed the old man, 'you don't know what you are doing.'" Mikey could barely breathe at this point he was laughing so hard. "A-And the doctor…hahahaha…says, 'H-How can you p-possibly know I'm wrong?'" More snorting laughter. "And th-the old man…hahahaha…says, 'It's obvious! My other leg is fine and it's the exact same age! BAHAHAHAHAAA!" Mikey beat the table with his fist.

The table erupted into laughter as well, more at the antics of Mikey than because of the joke. Even Raph couldn't help but chuckle.

They finished dinner and moved into the living room to watch, not monster movies, but comedy movies. Casey had brought over _Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Young Frankenstein, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day_, and a plethora of others. Mikey was in the middle of the couch with Raph and Leo on either side of him. Donnie was on the floor and April and Casey were on the recliner, Master Splinter on the other recliner. They huddled around the biggest screen and watched _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ first, since it was Mikey's favorite. Everyone was laughing at the antics of the actors in the movie. But eventually Mike got quiet and looked around at his strange family.

Four mutant turtles being raised by a mutant rat. 15 years later they met a young woman who thought she was going crazy when she first met them, but eventually became a vital part of their family. A few months after meeting this woman they met a very angry young man who didn't fit in anywhere else in the world, but somehow fit in perfectly with them. And now here they were; the four mutant turtles on the verge of adulthood, the young man and young woman practically married, and the mutant rat still looking over all of them. Mikey couldn't help but smile fondly. His silence was noticed by everyone else.

Leo nudge Mikey. "You okay?"

Mike smiled again. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Yer kinda quiet." Raph added.

"Just enjoying the moment." Mikey replied.

Donnie looked up and grinned at his brother's. "Well I'd enjoy it a lot more if you were laughing again. It's been way too long since we've hear you laugh."

Mikey merely smiled. "Can't I just enjoy the quiet moment?"

Raph and Leo looked at one another, mischievous glints in their eyes.

"No." They replied at the same time. Both of them reached towards Mikey and immediately began tickling his sides.

Mikey gasped and tried to flinch away, but he was stuck in the middle and couldn't go anywhere. Raph and Leo were grinning like fools. Donnie gently wiggled his fingers under Mikey's casted toes. Mikey was pushing at his brother's hands but it was no use and soon he succumbed to laughter. The renewed laughter had everyone looking at the four brothers. April and Casey started laughing while Master Splinter just smiled at his sons fondly. Encouraged by Mike's laughter Leo and Raph dug in harder, making their little brother shriek and pull his arms in to protect his sides.

The rest of the night was spent with laughter wringing throughout the lair. Every time Mikey got too quiet Leo and Raph would tickle him and Mikey would let out a peal of laughter. Eventually Casey and April joined as well and they had the younger turtle begging for mercy, tears of mirth pouring onto his face. To any outsider it looked like something out of a science fiction magazine, but to them, it looked like home.


End file.
